The Veteran's adjustment disorder is rated at 50 percent prior to June 21, 2012 and 70 percent from that date until May 30, 2019. The Board finds the evidence does not support a higher rating during this period.,For his back disability, the Veteran's claim is remanded as the VA examination report did not comply with the requirements in Correia v. McDonald (2016).
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s adjustment disorder symptoms do not more nearly approximate total occupational and social impairment during the period prior to June 21, 2012.
- Claimed conditions
- Adjustment Disorder, Back Disability (presumed secondary to service-connected condition), Left Leg Pain (presumed secondary to service-connected back disability)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2020
- Citation
- 20063198
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 20063198.
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 denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for adjustment disorder and hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of in-service onset or relationship to military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder was not manifested by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas or total occupational and social impairment at any point during the appeal period. The criteria for entitlement to an initial rating higher than 50 percent for service-connected adjustment disorder have not been met.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to duty-to-assist errors and a need for a VA psychiatric examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's adjustment disorder with cannabis use disorder is granted effective June 28, 2002 and a rating of 100 percent is granted.
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