The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in the November 2019 VA examination. The Board requires an addendum opinion from a clinician of appropriate expertise to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disability.
The deciding factor: The November 2019 VA examination was inadequate for rating purposes due to lack of reasoned medical explanation and consideration of prior diagnoses and lay statements.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety, adjustment disorder unspecified, other trauma and stress-related disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 13, 2020
- Citation
- A20015497
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for various acquired psychiatric disorders.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back pain, knee and wrist joint pains, neck pain, anxiety, depression, as further development is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression and anxiety, based on the evidence showing that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's condition began in service.
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