The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his major depressive disorder with insomnia after November 16, 2018 is being remanded due to the AOJ not having adjudicated this issue in its initial decision. The case must be returned to the AOJ for consideration of the merits of the claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's appeal was not fully considered as it pertained to an earlier effective date, and the AOJ did not address the rating increase request in its initial decision.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder with insomnia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2024
- Citation
- A24029190
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 A24029190.
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 prostate cancer is granted service connection due to presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The psychiatric disability, erectile dysfunction, and rectal disabilities are also remanded for further review.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and his service-connected conditions, particularly major depressive disorder with insomnia. The AOJ is instructed to obtain a VA medical opinion addressing causation and aggravation of the Veteran's OSA.
- Granted
The Veteran's headaches are found to be proximately due to his service-connected major depressive disorder with insomnia, and the claim for service connection is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the September 2022 remand directives and another remand is required for a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of any currently diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and major depressive disorder with insomnia. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection claim.
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