The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a headache disability and acquired psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD and depressive disorder, as secondary to his service-connected traumatic brain injury (TBI). The reasons include unclear medical opinions and missing VA treatment records. A new examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found the existing medical opinions inadequate and noted that there were missing VA treatment records which could provide additional context for the Veteran's claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Headache disability, Acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depressive disorder)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20010578
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 20010578.
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 headache disability is granted as service-connected. The left foot condition and lung cancer claims are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
- Granted
The Board has granted readjudication of the previously denied claims for service connection for asthma, low back injury (including right lower extremity radiculopathy), neck disability, headache disability, and right ankle disability.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying his claim for TDIU.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an eye disability and a headache disability as secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.
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