The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to obtain an adequate VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed anxiety disorder and insomnia disorder, as well as their relationship to service-connected tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the October 2020 VA medical opinion was inadequate and did not address direct service connection or consider the Veteran's military personnel records showing a change in behavior during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Anxiety Disorder, Insomnia Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 13, 2026
- Citation
- A26013714
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A26013714.
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 Veteran's initial ratings for anxiety disorder and TBI were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a March 2024 rating decision because the March 2024 rating decision was an initial decision granting service connection for anxiety disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for OSA and insomnia must be remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and opinions, as well as a failure to obtain TERA opinions on all relevant exposures.
- Granted
The Board has granted a separate rating for insomnia as secondary to service-connected tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's insomnia is a distinct disability with non-overlapping symptoms from his primary service-connected condition.
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