The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic headache disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD due to inadequate opinions in prior examinations. The claims are now pending for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not adequately address the Veteran’s lay reports of symptoms, his combat stressors, or his exposure to contaminants during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic headache disability, Acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20074509
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for a mental disorder and PTSD.
- Denied
The Board denied a higher rating for PTSD, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD to cure pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including obtaining SSA records and a more nuanced etiological opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, hypertension (HTN), and residuals of a stroke.
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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.