The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically depression, is caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The July 2012 VA examiner’s opinion that the Veteran’s depressive disorder was more likely due to 'later life events' including deaths in his family and being medically retired, did not address whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (depression)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19160425
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19160425.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for avascular necrosis of the bilateral shoulders and hips, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and neurological impairments of various extremities as they were not causally related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as depression and a right knee condition. The claims for left knee condition, back injury, hypertension, headaches, sleep apnea, and surgical complications of pregnancy were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral knee disabilities. The claims for GERD and COPD were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain additional evidence and a clarifying medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death.
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