Anxiety decisions — 2019

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral shoulder, knee, ankle, pes planus, eye, stomach, anxiety, and PTSD. The appeals are denied as there is no evidence of current or in-service disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's emphysema and chronic anxiety to his active service, including exposure to ether.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's bipolar disorder and service-connected PTSD. The AOJ is instructed to obtain an addendum opinion from a mental health professional, if necessary, to address this issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder are related to his military service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxiety is granted a rating of 70 percent, effective October 9, 2012. The hearing loss disability remains noncompensable.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral peripheral neuropathy, diabetes mellitus II, and anxiety disorder, have prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation since March 22, 2010. The Board has granted the TDIU effective that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was denied. His claims for visual field loss and TBI were granted with respective ratings of 30% and 10%. The claim for multiple noncompensable disabilities was denied.

The Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are not severe enough to interfere with occupational and social functioning or require continuous medication.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include bilateral eye disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depression), and Gulf War Syndrome with unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's mental health disability resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The Board granted a higher rating of 70 percent for the period prior to January 3, 2018, but denied a rating in excess of 70 percent throughout the appeal period. For the period prior to February 14, 2018, the Veteran's mental health disability is as likely as not of such nature and severity as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, warranting TDIU.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and whether her service-connected primary insomnia has aggravated any diagnosed psychiatric disorders. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence and additional development is needed before a decision can be made on the initial rating for an acquired psychiatric disability prior to March 24, 2010, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, mood disorder, anxiety and depression) as there is no evidence that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to in-service injuries or diseases.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of his acquired psychiatric disorders, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current conditions and his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to deficiencies in obtaining requested records, including Morning Reports from Fort Ord during the Veteran's active duty.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder. The Board found that there is sufficient evidence to support a finding of service connection based on direct service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety was reopened and granted. Service connection is also granted for major depressive disorder with recurrent anxiety as secondary to his service-connected left knee patellofemoral syndrome.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. Additional efforts are needed to verify the Veteran’s stressors and obtain VA treatment records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as it is more likely due to natural aging rather than in-service noise exposure.,Diabetes mellitus type II was not incurred during active service and did not develop within one year of discharge. The current diagnosis is attributed to the aging process.,Service connection for anxiety disorder prior to March 30, 2010, and an earlier effective date for a 50 percent rating are denied as there is no new evidence that would support reopening the claim.,The claims for heart condition, hypertension, and right and left hand conditions were previously denied. The Veteran's petition to reopen these claims has been denied due to lack of new and material evidence.