The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder, PTSD, bipolar disorder and anxiety. The VA is required to obtain additional medical records and conduct a new examination to determine if the Veteran's current mental health conditions are related to his military service or secondary to his service-connected tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the March 2018 VA examination was inadequate due to its failure to address the Veteran's and his brother's lay statements regarding in-service symptoms, and thus requires a new examination to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service or secondary to tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- depressive disorder, PTSD, bipolar disorder, anxiety
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2022
- Citation
- 22072114
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 22072114.
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 of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
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