The Board has found that the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disability, including a depressive disorder, should be remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. Specifically, the Board notes that VA treatment records are needed and a formal finding of unavailability must be made if no additional records can be located.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service connection claim was not fully addressed due to incomplete or unavailable medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- an unspecified depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2026
- Citation
- A26028684
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 A26028684.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including a depressive disorder, is being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The AOJ must obtain private treatment records and provide addendum opinions addressing the Veteran's lay statements regarding her left hip injury and its impact on her mental health.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran may have more than one acquired psychiatric disorder and is remanding for a new medical opinion to determine which, if any, are service-connected.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including an unspecified depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and PTSD, are found to be related to his active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and relationship of the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities to his military service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.