Anxiety decisions — 2009

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, but denied the claims of service connection for depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, a chronic disability manifested by numbness and pain in the left upper extremity, and a chronic lung disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service records and a VA examination to determine the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status since June 23, 2008.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and Social Security Administration records, verifying an in-service stressor, and scheduling a VA examination to determine the current nature and etiology of any psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not become manifest in service and is not shown to be related to service. The Board finds that the weight of the evidence is against a finding of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional records to be associated with his medical and claims files. The VAMC must locate and associate all relevant evidence, including private medical opinions and denials of his request for a full-size foam mattress.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining Vet Center treatment records and a new VA examination.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his own willful misconduct, and at the time of his death he had a service-connected disability rated as totally disabling for more than 10 years. However, the Board found that the evidence did not clearly and unmistakably establish entitlement to TDIU prior to November 12, 2005.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for syncope, anxiety neurosis, PTSD, inner ear infections, cardiovascular disease (including as secondary to PTSD), and bilateral eye condition (cataracts). The reasons were that no new and material evidence was submitted to reopen the claims for vasovagal episodes and anxiety reaction. The Board also found that there is no link between current conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical records, clarifying the Veteran's claims, and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, major depressive disorder, depression, anxiety disorder, and degenerative joint disease of the left and right knees have been reopened. However, new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims for service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service connection award of anxiety disorder/PTSD, finding that the earliest possible effective date is May 25, 2005.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder preexisted service and was aggravated by service. PTSD was not caused by any event or incident that occurred during service.

The Board found that the May 1996 rating decision did not involve CUE in regard to the effective date assigned for service connection for GAD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, are related to her service and granted her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his treatment records and readjudication.

The Veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD and his anxiety disorder is not related to service. Bilateral hearing loss was not shown by competent medical evidence to be related to service.

The Veteran's duodenal ulcer and acquired psychiatric disorder are service-connected. The cervical spine disorder claim is reopened, but the evidence does not support a grant of service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to verify stressors and obtain a VA psychiatric examination.