The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring additional medical opinions on direct service connection and secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was insufficient for adjudication purposes as it did not address whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was directly related to his service or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle and knee conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate with anxious distress
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 20, 2026
- Citation
- A26036464
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 A26036464.
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 Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder was granted a 70 percent evaluation, effective March 20, 2018.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection for PTSD as there is no remaining controversy with respect to this issue, and the Veteran is already compensated for his psychiatric symptoms through the award of major depressive disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an initial rating higher than 70 percent for service-connected major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate with anxious distress and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as the claims for service connection for Fuchs' corneal dystrophy, left and right eyes, and cervicogenic headaches, for further development.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of June 1, 2022, for a 100 percent disability rating for her acquired psychiatric condition. The effective date is based on the date she submitted her VA Form 21-8940 application for increased compensation.
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.