The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and whether any underlying acquired psychiatric disorder was a contributory factor. The VA is required to obtain a medical opinion to explore these possibilities.
The deciding factor: There is not sufficient information to make a decision on the claim, as there are open questions about possible underlying causes surrounding the Veteran’s death.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder other than alcoholism
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20001494
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.