The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of private treatment records and concerns about the qualifications of the VA examiner who conducted the November 2019 examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, persistent depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, and bipolar disorder per history, is being returned to the AOJ for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence due to a lack of private treatment records and concerns about the qualifications of the VA examiner who conducted the November 2019 examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), persistent depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, bipolar disorder per history
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 22, 2023
- Citation
- 23062207
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 23062207.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's service connection for other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder with persistent depressive disorder, anxious distress, and pure dysthymic syndrome was granted. The appeal for PTSD is dismissed as moot because the issue has been rendered irrelevant by the grant of service connection in another appeal stream.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, along with alcohol use disorder, has been granted a 100% evaluation effective from April 8, 2021. The disability causes total occupational and social impairment.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia and alcohol use disorder caused his sleep apnea.
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