The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, due to a non-compliant VA examination and the need for additional development.
The deciding factor: The September 2021 addendum opinion was deemed inadequate as it failed to provide a medical analysis and instead relied on lay opinions, which is not sufficient for adjudication purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder, Alcohol use disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22001021
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 9, 2022, for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, other specified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder.
- Granted
The Board granted a 70 percent evaluation for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and other specified trauma and stressor disorder and alcohol use disorder, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder, as the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors were not credible.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right hip, left hip, and left shoulder, as well as PTSD. The claim for a higher rating for the right knee scar was denied.
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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.