The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders pre-existed service or were aggravated by it. The VA examiner will be asked to provide opinions on these matters.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was not sufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's psychiatric conditions clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service or were aggravated during service.
- Claimed conditions
- adjustment disorder, schizophrenia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 22, 2022
- Citation
- 22053929
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 22053929.
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 schizophrenia is rated at 70 percent, indicating significant impairment in work and social functioning.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for an effective date prior to August 18, 2016, for a 100 percent disability rating for schizophrenia and for spousal SMC for aid and attendance. The Veteran's claim was erroneously adjudicated by the AOJ and constitutes a free-standing earlier effective date claim.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for erectile dysfunction and granted an earlier effective date of March 31, 2015, for a 50% evaluation of other specified trauma disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Appellant's discharge from service is not a bar to VA compensation benefits, but it was an error in fulfilling VA's duty to assist not to obtain a medical opinion addressing the extent of any psychiatric symptoms during service and their effect on the Appellant's behavior. The matter is therefore remanded for further action.
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