The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia and bipolar depression, due to inadequate VCAA notice and an insufficient VA examination. The Veteran is asked to provide any relevant private treatment records and his opinion on the nature of his mental health conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that proper VCAA notice was not provided and the March 2017 VA examination was inadequate for service connection purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- schizophrenia disorder, bipolar depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19183264
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 service connection for schizophrenia disorder due to a predecisional duty to assist error, specifically the failure to obtain an adequate medical examination and opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a psychiatric disorder to correct duty to assist errors and obtain further medical clarification on the diagnosis of schizophrenia.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection of a psychiatric disability is remanded. The VA must conduct an examination to determine the nature and cause of the claimed condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.