Anxiety decisions — 2001

The Board is unable to determine the cause of death due to a gap in medical records from March 1968 to January 1998, preventing effective review of the appellant's claim.

The Board found that the cause of death, a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was not related to service-connected conditions and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board finds that the veteran's dental condition is not aggravating his service-connected anxiety reaction, and thus does not meet the criteria for Class III VA outpatient dental treatment.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic psychiatric disorder, including an anxiety disorder, incurred in or aggravated by active service. The veteran's PTSD was not demonstrated to be caused by verified inservice stressors.

The veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and psychiatric disorder are found to be service-connected due to in-service noise exposure and stress, respectively.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder (anxiety or dysthymic disorder) secondary to the veteran's service-connected left varicocele and infertility, as well as service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome and a skin disorder (actinic/seborrheic keratoses).

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for a personality disorder and situational anxiety. The Board also concluded that an acquired psychiatric disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder warrants a rating no higher than 30 percent, as it does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation based on the severity of symptoms and occupational/social impairment.

The Board has determined that the appellant's generalized anxiety disorder with features of PTSD was incurred during service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the veteran's petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The evidence submitted is new and material, as it pertains to the issue at hand.

The Board has determined that the veteran's ischemic heart disease, which was present during his lifetime and linked to service, is the cause of death. The Board found sufficient evidence to grant service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board granted the veteran a total rating for compensation purposes by reason of individual unemployability, effective from March 27, 1998.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected anxiety disorder, finding that the symptoms are well controlled by medication and do not warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder, finding no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to her service or any incident therein. The Board also found that there was insufficient evidence to establish a preexisting knee disorder in service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The veteran's claims are now considered de novo.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a seizure disorder, finding new and material evidence. However, it is not granted as the seizure disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss in the right ear, tinnitus, PTSD, anxiety disorder, and a chronic disorder characterized by multiple joint pain, arthralgia, left leg limp, and left leg cramps secondary to undiagnosed illness. The appeals were not about service connection at all.

The Board's May 10, 1982 decision affirming the termination of a total rating based on individual unemployability is found to be clearly and unmistakably erroneous due to failure to apply proper procedural safeguards.

The Board has determined that the veteran's anxiety reaction warrants a 70 percent disability rating, effective from when his claim was filed in May 1995.