The Veteran's death was related to his service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder, but the cause of death occurred within 120 days of a period of active duty for training. The Board finds that VA did not obtain all available service treatment records from this period and orders their acquisition.
The deciding factor: VA failed to obtain all available service treatment records from the Veteran's Navy Reserve service during his period of active duty for training, which could have provided information on whether his anxiety disorder was aggravated by this service.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26037997
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 A26037997.
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 unspecified anxiety disorder alone warrants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), and he has additional service-connected disabilities rated at least 60 percent. The Board grants special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate.
- Granted
The Veteran's anxiety and depressive disorders were rated at a 70 percent disability rating effective May 6, 2015.,Effective May 6, 2015, the Veteran was granted an earlier effective date for DEA benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including unspecified anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, kleptomania, and PTSD is being remanded due to the AOJ's failure to obtain medical records from his periods of incarceration or a medical opinion regarding his diagnoses.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including unspecified anxiety disorder (claimed as PTSD, memory loss, a sleep disorder, and uncontrollable alcohol disorder), is being remanded due to the need for a medical opinion.
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