The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his service-connected chronic adjustment disorder and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination.
The deciding factor: Additional medical records are needed, and an examination is required to assess the current severity of the Veteran's mental health condition and its impact on employment.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic adjustment disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20007616
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,614 · Granted: 35% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20007616.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require regular aid and attendance from another person, resulting in the grant of special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance. The issue of SMC at the housebound rate is dismissed as it is a lesser benefit than SMC based on aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected chronic adjustment disorder, residuals of foot injury with inability to flex toes, right knee injury with laxity, and residuals right hand injury including flexion deformities fourth and fifth digits. The Board found that these service-connected conditions caused or aggravated the Veteran's obesity, which in turn caused his sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted an effective date of March 1, 2019 for the award of a total disability rating for compensation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The TDIU was awarded due to service-connected disabilities preventing the Veteran from securing or following substantially gainful employment. DEA benefits were granted as part of this decision.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, chronic adjustment disorder, depressive disorder, PTSD, and anxiety disorders, are etiologically related to service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.