The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities are related to service. A new VA examination or addendum is needed.
The deciding factor: The examiner must provide an opinion on whether the Veteran’s acquired mental disorder clearly and unmistakably did not increase in severity during service, or if it increased in severity due to natural progression.
- Claimed conditions
- paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar disorder with psychotic features, schizoaffective disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19145653
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed alternatively as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, due to an inadequate VA examiner's opinion and a failure to fulfill the duty to assist in obtaining relevant medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia on the basis other than clear and unmistakable error (CUE), finding that March 3, 2008 is the earliest possible effective date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for schizoaffective disorder to ensure proper notice and a new VA psychiatric examination.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of December 10, 1985, for the grant of service connection for schizoaffective disorder based on newly received and relevant service department records.
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