The Board remands the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
The deciding factor: A remand is required due to an inadequate VA examination and missing evidence regarding in-service events that may have led to the Veteran's current mental health conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Severe alcohol use disorder, Generalized anxiety disorder, Intermittent explosive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25054774
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development, specifically to obtain relevant VA and Vet Center medical records.
- 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.
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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.