The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depression has been reopened, and the case is being remanded to determine if his pre-existing depression was aggravated by service or if any other psychiatric disability had its onset during active service.
The deciding factor: The VA needs to provide a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities are related to service or were aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- major depression
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19147769
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 claims for service connection for major depression, personality disorder, and severe anxiety due to an inadequate VA examination and opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the Veteran's request to readjudicate his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as major depression and schizophrenia, due to new evidence being submitted after the prior final denial.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right shoulder disability (recurrent dislocation), insomnia, major depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. However, it granted restoration of a 10 percent rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease, lumbosacral strain, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) was granted from May 20, 2016. The Board also remanded the claim for a higher disability rating for his lumbosacral strain, degenerative joint disease and intervertebral disc syndrome.
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