Depression decisions — 2007

The Board has ordered the RO to attempt to obtain specific in-service medical records related to the veteran's reported attempted suicide on his 19th birthday, which occurred in January 1974. The case is remanded for further development and readjudication.

The veteran's right knee disability is not rated higher than 10 percent due to lack of limitation of motion, instability, or x-ray findings.,Service connection for a left knee condition and psychiatric disability - Major Depression are denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease, hypertensive vascular disease, and depression. The evidence does not establish a causal link between any of these conditions and the veteran's active military service.,There is no medical evidence showing that the veteran had any cardiovascular or psychiatric disorders during his active duty or within one year post-service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining missing VA treatment records and ensuring full compliance with the VCAA. The veteran's claims for an increased rating for depression and service connection for a right hand disorder are pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and Depression due to a lack of independent verification of his claimed in-service stressors, which are necessary elements for establishing service connection.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred on July 13, 2003, at Largo Medical Center was denied as VA facilities were feasibly available and the veteran did not meet the criteria under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1725.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety and depression, as well as ear and jaw pain (TMJ dysfunction), finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for depression as secondary to the veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disability, resolving a reasonable doubt in favor of the claimant.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for bipolar disorder and granted it, finding that new evidence submitted since the previous denial supports a link between the veteran's current condition and her service.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for depression, anxiety, and memory loss before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has remanded the veteran's case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying his service history. The issues of entitlement to service connection for PTSD and depression are pending.

The veteran's effective date for a 100 percent rating for post-traumatic stress disorder with depression is set at September 17, 2001.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, as it is not shown to be related to injury or disease in service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly evaluate the appellant's claim for an increased evaluation for her service-connected depressive disorder. This includes obtaining Social Security Administration records, VA medical records from a Chicago facility, and a more contemporaneous VA examination.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder is being remanded due to the need for a new examination to assess current severity.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no credible supporting evidence of in-service stressors and thus no diagnosis of PTSD based on a verified in-service event. The veteran's diagnoses were found to be unrelated to his military service.

The Board has granted a 50 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected PTSD since April 13, 2004. The rating is based on the criteria set forth in Diagnostic Code 9411 of the Rating Schedule.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized private medical expenses incurred on May 19, 2003 is denied as VA facilities were feasibly available and the treatment was not provided in a medical emergency.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and residuals of a left hand injury, finding no current disability related to the in-service injuries.