Anxiety decisions — 2020

The Board denied attorney fees for past-due benefits as the notice of disagreement was filed before June 19, 2007 and the appellant did not meet the conditions to charge fees.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected residuals of a thoracic spine scar was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show three or four scars that were unstable or painful, and therefore, a higher rating could not be granted. For the TDIU claim prior to July 19, 2017, the Veteran's disabilities rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and requests a new VA examination for an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD. The examiner is asked to determine if any of these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence to corroborate his reported stressor. The Veteran is also diagnosed with additional conditions such as major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including cardiovascular disorder, anxiety disorder, depression, sleep apnea (OSA), skin disorder, neurological disorder, scleroderma, hearing loss, bone atrophy, and vision disorder. The decision found no evidence of these conditions during or immediately after service, and did not find a link to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and PTSD, due to insufficient evidence to verify a claimed in-service stressor.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical opinions and further development is needed before service connection for the Veteran's cause of death can be adjudicated.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective June 10, 2020. The rating for his lumbar spine degenerative disc disorder remains at 40 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including vertigo, right and left wrist disorders, sleep disorder, right shoulder disorder, lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, actinic keratosis, nasal polyps, squamous cell carcinoma, acquired psychiatric disorder (adjustment disorder, depression, anxiety disorder), eye disorder (vitreous syneresis, floaters, panniculi), right knee disorder, left knee disorder, hernia, pulmonary hypertension, and allergic rhinitis have been denied. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is granted. The diagnosis of PTSD and depression are based on valid stressors related to military sexual trauma (MST) during basic training and advanced individual training.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and disability ratings for various conditions, including migraines, neck disability, back disability, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes, varicose veins of the left lower extremity, left shoulder disability, and anxiety. The Veteran's SSA records have not been associated with the claims file.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD has been granted, and the case is remanded to determine if any other acquired psychiatric disorders are related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for anxiety and depression, finding that the Veteran's experiences during military service caused his current psychiatric conditions.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and anxiety/depression, finding that there was no credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. The claim is remanded to assign a rating for the newly service-connected condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete reasoning in a previous VA examination, and needs additional information on whether the Veteran's anxiety disorder was incurred during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence and incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran's statements regarding the onset of his symptoms are considered credible, but further examination is needed to determine if any current psychiatric disorder began in or is otherwise related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a lack of proper examination for his service-connected right hip condition, and the need to obtain updated VA treatment records.