The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for additional examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for an adjustment/mood disorder as secondary to his service-connected back/spine disability.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on confusion between VA and the Veteran about what evidence is still needed to support the claim, necessitating another opportunity for a VA examination or correction of the deficiency in the DBQ submitted by the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- adjustment/mood disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2020
- Citation
- A20016120
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · Granted: 23% (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 A20016120.
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 Board has granted service connection for adjustment/mood disorder, gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and neurogenic bladder disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that service connection for migraine headaches is granted as secondary to the service-connected tinnitus. The low back disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and adjustment/mood disorder claims are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including failing to provide a VA examination for service connection of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a mental condition (claimed as adjustment/mood disorder) is dismissed. The claims for service connection for left shoulder strain and right shoulder strain are remanded, while the claim for service connection for right shoulder arthritis is also remanded.
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