The Board remands the claim for service connection for schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type due to an incomplete record of the appellant's National Guard service from July 2000 to November 2002.
The deciding factor: The AOJ did not have adequate information to characterize the appellant's service during the time frame in question and failed to search for the appellant's record, which needs to be cured before adjudicating the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2025
- Citation
- A25050376
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed alternatively as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, due to an inadequate VA examiner's opinion and a failure to fulfill the duty to assist in obtaining relevant medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for schizoaffective disorder to ensure proper notice and a new VA psychiatric examination.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of December 10, 1985, for the grant of service connection for schizoaffective disorder based on newly received and relevant service department records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include schizoaffective disorder and PTSD.
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