The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a mental disorder and metastatic esophageal cancer due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The Veteran's depression is being remanded for another opinion considering his reports of stress from aircraft maintenance duties, and the esophageal cancer is being remanded for an opinion on whether it was related to exposure to environmental hazards in service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA medical opinions were inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran's own statements regarding the impact of his service-related stress on his relationships, and did not address the risk factors for esophageal cancer as listed by the February 2020 VA examiner.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), metastatic esophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20042506
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 20042506.
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 case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
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