The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, as well as his claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The VA is instructed to obtain a new examination and provide a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran’s disability since the initial claim date.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current rating assigned does not reflect the full extent of the Veteran's disability, as evidenced by his ongoing symptoms and reports from lay statements and medical records. The VA is instructed to obtain an updated examination and provide a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran’s disability since the initial claim date.
- Claimed conditions
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005807
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a disability rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, effective October 24, 2017. The Board also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability due to the need for a more comprehensive medical examination and opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted a staged disability rating of 70 percent for the service-connected generalized anxiety disorder from January 8, 2024, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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