The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for depression/dysthymic disorder, an increased evaluation for PTSD, left elbow tendonitis, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome due to inadequate examinations.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations were deemed insufficient to properly assess the severity of the Veteran's conditions and their relationship to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- depression/dysthymic disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20034277
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 20034277.
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 remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for depression/dysthymic disorder and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, as new evidence was associated with the case file.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for cervical dysphasia was dismissed. The Board granted service connection for depression and/or dysthymic disorder as secondary to her service-connected bronchial asthma.
- Denied
The Board found no evidence to support the claim that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, characterized as depression/dysthymic disorder, is related to his military service. The earliest documented treatment for such a condition was 19 years after discharge from active duty.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as depression/dysthymic disorder, and dismissed the appeal of the claim for entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.