Anxiety decisions — 2020

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, NOS (claimed as PTSD), has been rated at 50% since April 9, 2012. The issue of an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease with artery bypass graft is remanded.,Service connection for right hip condition and left hip condition secondary to service-connected back disability are also remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, including the relationship between his substance abuse and his condition. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU is also inextricably intertwined with the rating claim.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no new or material evidence was submitted to reopen service connection for PTSD. The issues of rating for various disabilities were also dismissed.

The Board found that the correct effective date for the grant of service connection for the Veteran's psychiatric disorder was April 1, 2002. The CRDP payments were calculated based on a combined disability rating of 60 percent and awarded from January 1, 2004, to September 30, 2013.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, kidney disease, and unspecified anxiety disorder. The reasons include that there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after separation, and no nexus between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not rendered him unemployable or unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board denied service connection for depression, anxiety, bilateral hearing loss, and lower back disorder. The Veteran's claims were based on direct evidence of the conditions rather than presumptive or other theories.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding direct and secondary service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD with depression and anxiety and secondary alcohol use disorder, is granted a 100 percent rating.,TDIU was granted effective August 16, 2016. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for TDIU prior to this date.,Eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance under Chapter 35 was denied prior to August 16, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for migraines from May 17, 2017 to May 15, 2018 was denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and other acquired psychiatric disorders was granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and insomnia, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and adjustment disorder with depression and anxiety disorder, are related to his active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder and panic disorder are caused by her service-connected left knee disorders, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent for MDD with GAD and entitlement to TDIU prior to October 25, 2017 were denied by the Board. The decision is based on the Veteran's symptoms not warranting a higher rating under the applicable criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated as non-compensable from June 22, 2015 to April 22, 2018. The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for this period.,For the period after April 22, 2018, the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has not been rated higher than 40 percent.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of low back disability, asthma, neck disability, eye disability (including amblyopia, blurred vision, and vision loss), diabetes, acquired psychiatric disorder (to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, personality disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)), and left ankle disability have been remanded. The appeals for service connection on the issues of chest disability, residuals of a head injury, and sleep disorder were dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an opinion on whether the Veteran's hypertension is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The issue of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, claimed as PTSD with anxiety disorder, is remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD due to lack of a current diagnosis. The case is remanded for further evaluation regarding the Veteran's adjustment disorder with anxiety.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date of the increased rating for his service-connected psychiatric disability is dismissed because the December 2018 claim was redundant and should not have been accepted by the Board.