The Board remands the case for further development by the originating agency to ensure a complete record upon which to decide the Veteran's increased rating claim.
The deciding factor: A retrospective opinion is needed to clarify whether the examiners in March 2015, October 2019, and August 2022 contemplated the effects of continuous medication when evaluating the Veteran's PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- service-connected psychiatric disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with pulmonary nodule
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2025
- Citation
- 25006604
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,287 · Granted: 23% (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 25006604.
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 total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2021. This means the veteran is considered totally disabled due to service-connected conditions and unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an issue regarding whether the Veteran's neurocognitive disorder should be severed from his service-connected psychiatric disorder. The RO is directed to readjudicate this severance issue.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection for insomnia as it is considered a symptom of the Veteran's already service-connected psychiatric disorder. The issue of evaluating the right ankle disorder was remanded, and thus the decision on this aspect remains pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board's June 2019 decision denying service connection for cerebrovascular accident/stroke and SMC based on need for aid and attendance/housebound status is vacated, and the claims are remanded.
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