The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities, including spasmodic torticollis and TMJ. The Veteran also has a claim for an increased rating for adjustment disorder with depressed mood.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the current examinations are inadequate due to the possibility of flare-ups and functional loss without further examination.
- Claimed conditions
- adjustment disorder with depressed mood, spasmodic torticollis, neck (also claimed as tilting of the neck), temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) associated with seventh cranial nerve damage
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20073518
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,217 · Granted: 46% (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 20073518.
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: Granted
This decision grants service connection for erectile dysfunction and assigns a noncompensable rating, effective November 6, 2020. The Veteran's adjustment disorder with depressed mood is granted as service-connected, also effective November 6, 2020. An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.,An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was due to his service-connected adjustment disorder with depressed mood, which contributed substantially or materially to his death. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial compensable rating for adjustment disorder with depressed mood is denied, and the claim for service connection for a bilateral foot condition is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology.
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