The Board remands the claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and unspecified depressive disorder to correct a duty to assist error, as the AOJ did not obtain a VA examination or opinions regarding whether these disorders are related to active service or caused by the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The record prior to the August 2023 rating decision on appeal raised the issues of direct and secondary service connection with sufficient evidence to warrant providing a VA examination and obtaining expert opinions regarding those theories.
- Claimed conditions
- Generalized anxiety disorder, Unspecified depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2025
- Citation
- A25033672
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 granted an effective date of May 9, 2022, for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, other specified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating higher than 70 percent for the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, finding that his symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU, DEA benefits, and a finding of TDIU based solely on generalized anxiety disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date earlier than April 9, 2024, for the assignment of a 70 percent evaluation for insomnia disorder with generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder.
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