The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudicative action, including a VA psychiatric examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression) and its effects on his occupational functioning and daily activities. The TDIU issue is also deferred pending resolution of these claims.
The deciding factor: The remand was due to the lack of a clear diagnosis for PTSD in the July 2019 VA examination report and the need for another VA examination with a medical opinion by a mental health provider to describe both the current severity of the Veteran's PTSD and its effects on his occupational functioning and daily activities.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD, anxiety, depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20068440
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 remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
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