Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and further development is required.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to concerns about the confirmation of the Veteran's in-service stressor and the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's death is being remanded for further development to verify his in-service stressor and determine if he had an acquired psychiatric disorder during service that contributed to his cause of death.

The Board is unable to determine the periods of employment and unemployment for the Veteran prior to April 17, 2005 due to incomplete records. The case is being remanded to obtain these records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, his claim for bilateral hearing loss remains denied as he does not meet the VA standards for a current disability.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine disorder, elbow disorder, wrist disorder, hip disorder, knee disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder (other than right ankle sprain), shoulder disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder have been remanded due to insufficient evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and service.,The Veteran's claim for a cervical spine disorder has also been remanded as no VA examination addressing the direct or secondary theory of entitlement was conducted.,His claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for shin splints, left leg and right leg have been remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for left inguinal hernia, epididymo-orchitis with orchiditis and hydrocele, tinnitus, right eye condition, and left shoulder condition have been withdrawn. The appeal for anxiety and depression has resulted in a grant of service connection.,Tinnitus remains at 10%.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to extend her delimiting date for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30, finding that her service-connected psychiatric disability did not prevent her from initiating or completing her chosen program of education during the eligibility period.

The Board has determined that the VA examination provided in October 2019 is inadequate for decision making purposes and requires an addendum opinion to address service connection on a direct-incurrence basis, including behavioral changes during active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, is denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosis of PTSD or other mental disorders during active duty or within one year after discharge. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for VA medical treatment under 38 U.S.C. § 1702.

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.