The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his claims of increased ratings and service connection. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent for panic disorder prior to August 7, 2020.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s symptoms did not rise to the level required for a 70% rating based on the severity and frequency of his panic attacks and their impact on daily life.
- Claimed conditions
- Panic Disorder without Agoraphobia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2022
- Citation
- 22028735
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 22028735.
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 remands the claims for an increased rating and TDIU due to service-connected PTSD, panic disorder without agoraphobia, and TBI, as well as a claim for hearing loss.
- Partly granted
The Board granted eligibility for the direct payment of attorney fees to the appellant from benefits resulting from a 70 percent rating for panic disorder without agoraphobia and a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain, but denied such eligibility for pes planus and right elbow tendinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of March 6, 2015, for a 70 percent rating for his psychiatric disability. The Board found that it was not factually ascertainable that there had been an increase in severity during the one-year lookback period.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected panic disorder without agoraphobia alone prevents him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and he is entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective April 27, 2009. Additionally, the Veteran has additional service-connected disabilities independently rated at 60 percent or more, qualifying him for special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate.
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