The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to obtain a medical nexus opinion regarding the connection between the Veteran's currently diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders and his military service.
The deciding factor: The AOJ erred when it did not obtain a medical nexus opinion regarding the connection between the Veteran's currently diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders and his military service, as its duty to assist was triggered by the existence of both a current diagnosis and an in-service injury or incident.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety disorder, other specified trauma disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 22, 2025
- Citation
- A25046375
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for depression, PTSD, and an anxiety disorder due to the lack of a current diagnosis.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for anxiety disorder and denied service connection for hearing loss. The claims for service connection for GERD, right ankle limitations, and sinusitis were remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board dismissed the appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) and remanded several issues related to increased ratings for various disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date for the 70 percent evaluation of anxiety disorder starting from January 16, 2022.
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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.