The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, should be remanded due to insufficient development and lack of a substantive rationale in the previous VA examination.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide a substantive rationale for their opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s mental disorder is related to his active service or exposure to the aftermath of a 1983 suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
- Claimed conditions
- an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181668
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 has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a bilateral foot disorder due to procedural issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, potentially related to military service. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and TDIU are being remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and remanded the issues of service connection for tinnitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hepatitis C. Service connection for hepatitis C was withdrawn by the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and inextricably intertwined issues. The claims include lichen planus, type II diabetes, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.
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