The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of discussion regarding whether VA's duty to assist was satisfied, specifically concerning a retrospective VA medical opinion on the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Court found that the Board did not address whether the appellant is entitled to receive a retrospective VA medical opinion concerning the cause of the Veteran’s death.
- Claimed conditions
- Emotional Instability, Undiagnosed Mental Disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20024052
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 20024052.
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 has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for emotional instability and remanded the claims of service connection for bipolar disorder and TDIU due to incomplete development.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was ruled as a suicide due to self-inflicted gunshot wound. The cause of his psychiatric disorder, which contributed to the suicide, is believed to have existed prior to service and not related to military service.
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