The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion and needs a new examination to determine if the Veteran's somatic symptoms disorder is related to service, a service-connected disability, or new evidence.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examiner did not provide sufficient rationale for their opinions regarding causation and aggravation of the somatic symptoms disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- somatic symptoms disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2020
- Citation
- A20015717
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · Granted: 28% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A20015717.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from January 8, 2018, to March 29, 2022.,Prior to January 8, 2018, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been dismissed as he requested to withdraw the claim.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU effective June 10, 2016.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, including somatic symptoms disorder with predominant pain disorder symptoms, insomnia disorder, and other specified trauma and stressor related disorder (PTSD), has been rated at 70 percent since December 2014. The Board found that the severity of his symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a 100 percent rating.
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