Anxiety decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The claim is also reopened due to new evidence received since the final January 2012 denial.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension but remanded the claim for a psychiatric disability, including adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood.

The Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder is rated at 50 percent, the maximum rating available. The Board found that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board has determined that the VA examination report did not comply with the remand directives and thus, the Veteran's claim must be remanded for another VA examination to determine if his current psychiatric symptoms are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded due to the lack of a sufficient rationale in the October 2016 VA examination regarding potential noise exposure during his military service as a communications specialist.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is remanded due to the absence of an opinion addressing herbicide agent exposure and situational stress or anxiety exacerbating his GERD.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically anxiety, is remanded as there is insufficient evidence linking it to military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has not yet decided whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen each individual claim.,Service connection was granted for tinnitus. The other claims remain pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU, but his combined disability rating is sufficient to warrant consideration of extra-schedular TDIU. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and schedule the Veteran for an examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his military service and his current mental health conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The issues of service connection for a bilateral knee condition, generalized anxiety disorder, and bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding various conditions and ratings, leading to the dismissal of all pending claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, cannabis use disorder, and PTSD. The decision found that there was no diagnosis of PTSD under DSM-5 and that the preponderance of evidence did not support a nexus between the current psychiatric disorders and service.

The Board has remanded the claims of anxiety disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus for further development by the RO.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but denied the claims for foot fungus condition and colon polyps. The claim for residuals of a right rectus lipoma removal was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for GERD is pending as it requires reopening.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and requests for additional information. The Veteran was not granted any new ratings or effective dates.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, and the Veteran should be afforded another opportunity for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist deficiency and the need for a VA examination.

The Board dismissed the appeal of attorney fees as a result of past-due benefits awarded in a February 2019 rating decision, which granted service connection for major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder and sleep apnea.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, should be remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD and anxiety, due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran reported multiple in-service stressors that need to be verified.

The Board has decided that a new VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran meets the DSM-5 criteria for any mental health condition, including PTSD. The examiner should also provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the acquired psychiatric disorder(s) had its onset during military service or is causally related to such service.