The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, OSA, and TDIU due to conflicting medical opinions and incomplete examination reports. The Veteran is required to provide VA Form 21-4142 for all non-VA medical providers seen for mental health disorders and sleep apnea. A new VA examination must be conducted to determine the nature and etiology of any psychiatric disorder, including whether it had its onset during active service or is related to in-service stressors, and if it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the medical opinions are not fully supported and require additional examination to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, OSA, and TDIU.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Schizophrenia, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Unspecified Personality Disorder, Anxiety
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20025069
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 20025069.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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