The Board remands the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and various other psychiatric disorders, as it finds that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not obtaining medical opinions addressing all of the Veteran's diagnosed psychiatric disorders.
The deciding factor: Remand is necessary due to an inadequate August 2023 VA examination report and the failure to develop the Veteran's secondary theory of entitlement related to his service-connected headaches exacerbating his psychiatric disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Adjustment disorder, Depressed mood, Personality disorder, Other specified anxiety disorder, Alcohol use disorder, Opioid use disorder, Major depressive disorder, Unspecified mood disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25037336
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 service connection for PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor and finding that his PTSD is related to an in-service military sexual trauma (MST) during a period of ACDUTRA.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Granted
The Board granted initial ratings of 40 percent for lumbar spine disorder, 70 percent for major depressive disorder, and 40 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy. TDIU and SMC based on housebound status were also granted.
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