The Board has decided that a remand is necessary for the Veteran to be afforded a VA examination and obtain new medical opinions regarding her claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, MDD, and adjustment disorder due to MST. The remand also includes efforts to corroborate the Veteran's reports of sexual assault during service and attempts to obtain records from the Florida Blood Bank.
The deciding factor: The Board found that a new medical opinion is needed as the previous opinions were based on incorrect factual information and did not consider all relevant evidence, including recent treatment records and statements regarding MST. Additionally, efforts are required to corroborate the Veteran's reports of sexual assault during service and obtain blood bank records.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major depressive disorder (MDD), Adjustment disorder due to military sexual trauma (MST)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22027718
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 22027718.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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