Anxiety Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder did not have its onset during service and is not related to his military service. The right shoulder disability was rated at 30 percent, but no higher rating was granted due to lack of evidence showing more than limitation of motion. For the lumbar spine disability, a rating in excess of 20 percent from July 18, 2005, to March 4, 2009, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter is denied.

The Veteran's chronic low back strain is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has granted a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of right and left ankle fractures. Service connection for anxiety disorder and arthritis of the ankles to include as secondary to service-connected ankle fractures was also granted.

The Veteran is granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include as secondary to his service-connected non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The claim of entitlement to TDIU based on this grant of service connection is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of CUE in his noncompensable evaluation for anxiety reaction (now rated as dysthymia) and denied his service connection claim for a stomach disorder, finding that the evidence did not establish clear and unmistakable error. The Board also denied his service connection claim for a sleep disorder, concluding that there was no evidence to support this claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and readjudication, including consideration of the Court's holding in Clemons v. Shinseki, 23 Vet. App. 1 (2009), which requires that the Board consider all diagnosed psychiatric disorders when determining whether service connection is warranted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new Travel Board hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for schizoaffective disorder and generalized anxiety disorder remain on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with anxiety is currently rated at 30% from March 19, 2009. The Veteran also has a current rating of 10% for her patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee with minimal degenerative joint disease of both knees.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA examinations to address his heart disorder, service connection claim, and TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA examination and consideration of whether the August 23, 1989, rating decision denying service connection for PTSD was clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's medical history and need for further clarification of his mental health conditions during service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of periods of active duty for training and inactive duty for training, obtaining VA treatment records, and scheduling a psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is manifested by panic attacks more than once a week, impaired judgment, disturbances of mood, and difficulty in establishing effective work and social relationships. The Board finds that these symptoms are productive of an overall level of impairment that meets the 50 percent rating criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death from squamous cell cancer of the esophagus. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board denied service connection for a heart murmur and granted service connection for an anxiety disorder, but the RO has not yet issued a Statement of the Case regarding the issue of compensable disability ratings from June 20, 2002 to July 05, 2003, and to disability ratings in excess of 10 percent from July 5, 2003 to July 1, 2009, and in excess of 30 percent from July 1, 2009 for an anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for further development and examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding whether service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's death. The appellant is seeking service connection for cause of death and needs a VA medical opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and SSA records, scheduling a psychiatric examination, and rescheduling the TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records.