The Veteran's claim for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and obtaining missing treatment records from his incarceration.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that a VA examination is necessary to determine if the Veteran's paranoid schizophrenia began in or is related to active duty service, given the conflicting medical evidence and the Veteran's history of hearing voices since 1974.
- Claimed conditions
- paranoid schizophrenia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20069201
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 denied an earlier effective date for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia on the basis other than clear and unmistakable error (CUE), finding that March 3, 2008 is the earliest possible effective date.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection of paranoid schizophrenia, finding that the evidence did not support a grant based on newly added service personnel records.
- Dismissed
The appeal concerning the issues of entitlement to service connection for paranoid schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder was dismissed due to the Veteran's death prior to the submission of a valid substitution request.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date than January 18, 2023, for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.