The case is being remanded to obtain a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed additional disabilities resulting from his tapering of opioid medications, specifically whether they were caused by carelessness or negligence on the part of the Detroit VAMC.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that an additional medical opinion should have been obtained addressing whether the initial medication management plan itself constituted a fault on the part of the Department.
- Claimed conditions
- opioid withdrawal symptoms
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20069965
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,077 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20069965.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to obtain an adequate independent medical opinion regarding the Veteran's 38 U.S.C. § 1151 claim.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for an independent medical opinion to determine if additional disability, claimed as opioid withdrawal symptoms, opioid dependence, and opioid addiction, was proximately caused by VA treatment.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's opioid withdrawal symptoms, dependence, and addiction are not considered to be caused by VA medical care or negligence.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for hyperalgesia and opioid withdrawal symptoms related to VA medication management decisions is denied because the additional disability was not proximately caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.
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