The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional examination and analysis regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, preexisted service or was aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need to obtain the Veteran’s complete service personnel records and a new VA examination to determine if an acquired psychiatric disorder clearly and unmistakably preexisted service and whether it was clearly and unmistakably aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20076672
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20076672.
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 has remanded the case due to insufficient VA opinions regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claim will be further evaluated with a new examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating of 70 percent for his acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, was granted effective March 24, 2016. The VA determined that the Veteran's condition manifested occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder, bilateral foot disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder) due to lack of probative evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and major depressive disorder), peripheral neuropathy of the hands and feet, chronic foot infection, and rheumatoid arthritis. The evidence now supports these claims.
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