The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's death by suicide may be linked to his in-service psychiatric symptoms.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for a VA medical opinion to determine if there is a link between the Veteran's in-service psychiatric symptoms and his death by suicide.
- Claimed conditions
- Major depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2024
- Citation
- A24065806
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,977 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24065806.
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 has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for major depression, finding that it is related to events of service. The evidence received since the prior denial supports this determination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder. The claim will be reconsidered with a new medical opinion.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date, a higher disability rating, and TDIU have all been denied. The Board found that the current effective date is appropriate and that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating or TDIU.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 70 percent for major depression and anxiety disorder with insomnia is denied. The appeal for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance is dismissed as moot. The service connection claim for a neck disability is remanded due to a duty to assist error.
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