The Board has determined that an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for CFS is not warranted. The Veteran's claim was denied in March 2009, and he filed a petition to reopen his claim on April 30, 2014. The Board also found remanded issues related to service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, initial compensable rating for CFS, and entitlement to TDIU.
The deciding factor: The effective date of the award of service connection is not based on the earliest medical evidence showing a causal connection but on the date that the application upon which service connection was eventually awarded was filed with VA. The Veteran's April 2014 petition to reopen his claim for CFS constitutes the date of the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety disorder, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic fatigue syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20056717
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 20056717.
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 due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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