The Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for his schizophrenia with substance abuse and for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his employment status during the period on appeal.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that additional development is necessary to determine the nature and circumstances of the Veteran's employment status during the period on appeal, including wage and/or salary information, performance evaluations, and reasons for leaving such employment.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic paranoid schizophrenia, cocaine use disorder, cannabis use disorder, alcohol abuse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20038700
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 20038700.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress and alcohol abuse, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to active service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for alcohol abuse and drug abuse, as well as a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating or secondary service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including schizoaffective disorder, depressive disorder, schizophrenia, alcohol use disorder, and cocaine use disorder, is related to an in-service assault by three fellow servicemembers. The Board has granted service connection for this condition.
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