The Board remands the case to obtain outstanding SSA records relevant to the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for an acquired psychiatric disorder.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran applied for Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits, and efforts were not made to obtain these records at the time of the July 2023 rating decision. The Board finds that attempts to obtain and associate with the claims file any outstanding SSA records should be made.
- Claimed conditions
- specific phobia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25039668
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.
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The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.