The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for a 30% evaluation of his acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically posttraumatic stress disorder with depression. The VA has not obtained updated mental health records from the Arizona Department of Corrections and is therefore remanded to do so.
The deciding factor: The VA failed to obtain updated medical treatment records from the Arizona DOC that are relevant to determining whether there was a worsening of the Veteran's PTSD prior to October 20, 2014.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with depression)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2025
- Citation
- 25000662
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 275 · Granted: 33% (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 25000662.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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