Citation Nr: 21066262 Decision Date: 10/29/21 Archive Date: 10/29/21 DOCKET NO. 14-10 783 DATE: October 29, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from October 2009 to December 2009. This matter is on appeal from a February 2013 decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). In June 2017, a hearing was held before the undersigned. A transcript of the hearing is in the record. The case was previously before the Board in November 2017, July 2019, and November 2020 when it was remanded for further development. Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded. The Veteran contends that he is entitled to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. Regrettably, the Board finds that further development is necessary to obtain an addendum from the VA examiner to provide clarification and obtain an adequate medical opinion. In April 2021, the Veteran was provided with a VA examination in which the clinician opined that the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder was less likely than not incurred in or caused by service. In one examination report, the examiner stated that the Veteran's statements regarding personal assaults were credible but that there was a lack of markers to indicate that the condition is related to the in-service events. However, in a separate examination report, the examiner remarked that the Veteran has "some" anxiety related to the stress he experienced in service. These remarks appear inconsistent, which renders the opinions unclear and inadequate for evaluation purposes. Once VA undertakes the effort to provide an examination for a service-connection claim, even if not statutorily obligated to do so, it must provide an adequate one or, at a minimum, notify the claimant why one will not or cannot be provided. Barr v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 303, 311-12 (2007). Additionally, the indication that the Veteran has some anxiety related to his stress in service raises questions as to whether the Veteran's psychiatric disorder is at least partially related to his service. Thus, an addendum must be obtained to clarify the examiner's remarks. The record also reflects the Veteran may receive VA treatment; thus, updated VA treatment records should be associated with the claims file. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain the Veteran's VA treatment records for the period from August 2017 to the present. 2. After completing the development requested in item 1, return the claims file to the April 2021 VA examiner, or another appropriate clinician if that examiner is not available, for review and an addendum medical opinion. An additional in-person or telehealth examination is only necessary if deemed so by the examiner. The reviewing clinician should be requested to provide an opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not (a 50 percent or greater probability) that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to the in-service personal assaults, to include whether it is, in part, related to the assaults. A complete rationale for all opinions must be provided. If the clinician cannot provide a requested opinion without resorting to speculation, it must be so stated, and the clinician must provide the reasons why an opinion would require speculation. The clinician must indicate whether there was any further need for information or testing necessary to make a determination. Additionally, the clinician must indicate whether any opinion could not be rendered due to limitations of knowledge in the medical community at large and not those of the particular examiner. M. SORISIO Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board M. H. White, Associate Counsel The Board's decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.