The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the March 2018 examiner's opinion regarding the preexistence of a psychiatric disability and its aggravation by service. The appellant is required to provide an addendum opinion from the March 2018 examiner or another appropriate clinician.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the March 2018 examiner applied inconsistent conclusions and an incorrect standard when addressing the claim on a preexisting basis, and thus requires an addendum opinion to address these deficiencies.
- Claimed conditions
- acquired psychiatric disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2019
- Citation
- 19182260
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 an acquired psychiatric disability to correct a pre-decisional error in the duty to assist, specifically to obtain an adequate VA medical opinion addressing the Veteran's asserted in-service stressors.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for right hand strain status-post fracture of the third metacarpal and denied service connection for various other conditions including a right ankle condition, foot disability (torn Achilles tendon), acquired psychiatric disability, ear condition, head injury, left leg disability, and low back disability.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disability is dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, finding a current diagnosis and a link to an in-service event.
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