The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenic reaction, paranoid type (also claimed as hearing void psychosis, victim of lighting strike) due to new and material evidence. However, the case is remanded for further development regarding whether the condition worsened during military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new evidence raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim but requires clarification on whether the Veteran's preexisting condition worsened during service.
- Claimed conditions
- schizophrenic reaction, paranoid type
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19160952
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,188 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19160952.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, which was related to his schizophrenia that began during service. The Board found that this disability substantially contributed to the Veteran's untimely death by suicide.
- Dismissed
Your service connection for schizophrenia has been granted, but the appeal is dismissed as moot because the claim was already resolved in October 2020.
- Granted
The Board found that the May 1988 rating decision incorrectly applied presumptive service connection for a psychotic disorder, leading to a grant of service connection for schizophrenic reaction.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability, including schizophrenia and paranoid type, due to a lack of VA examination. The Veteran's service treatment records indicate he was treated for improper use of psychostimulants in June 1983.
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