The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (schizoaffective disorder) and remanded the secondary service connection claim for hypertensive vascular disease.
The deciding factor: The evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as schizoaffective disorder was incurred during his military service. The Board has resolved reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (schizoaffective disorder), Hypertensive vascular disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20013832
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 20013832.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for hypertensive vascular disease is dismissed.,The appeals for service connection for impairment of the lower leg, tibia and fibula (right shin splint) and left shin splint are dismissed.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing due to his permanent and total service-connected disability affecting both lower extremities, which precludes locomotion without the aid of assistive devices.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for GERD, COPD, and hypertensive vascular disease due to insufficient efforts in verifying his reported service in Thailand, Camp Lejeune, and Guam. Additional development is needed to confirm these service locations and address exposure claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for liver cancer, hypertensive vascular disease, kidney disease, and upper respiratory disability due to a duty to assist error.
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