Depression decisions — 2010

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, and he was assigned a rating of 30 percent for his PTSD. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have sleep apnea or hepatitis C due to service, but he does have tinnitus, headaches, anxiety disorder, depression disorder, lower back disorder, upper back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral hand disorders related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety, major depressive disorder and PTSD as separate disabilities is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches and psychiatric disability, specifically depression and anxiety, are not related to service. The preponderance of evidence shows that any present findings of these conditions did not occur during active duty.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his claims of service connection for psychiatric disability, specifically major depressive disorder, and hypertension. The issues are related to whether these conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected pansinusitis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities. The issues of nonservice-connected pension benefits and TDIU are also being addressed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of her service-connected major depression with generalized anxiety.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities. The case will be returned to the Board for further adjudication.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include as secondary to the service-connected residuals of bilateral frostbite injuries to ears, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and a new VA psychiatric examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's dysthymic disorder and depression are not related to his military service, including the deaths of two childhood friends during the Korean War. The VA examiner concluded that the current psychiatric condition is more likely due to recent events such as a difficult divorce and retirement.

The Veteran's death was caused by complications of subdural hematoma due to closed head injuries, which were related to his service-connected depressive disorder. The Board found that the evidence is in equipoise and thus grants service connection for cause of death. For DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, the Veteran was not rated as totally disabled at any point prior to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as PTSD and anxiety, which represents a complete grant of the benefit sought on appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's depression did not manifest in service or for many years thereafter, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the severance of service connection for Hepatitis C and Major Depressive Disorder was improper, as there is no evidence to support a finding of clear and unmistakable error in the original grant of service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, schizophrenia and a mood disorder. The decision stated there was no demonstration of such conditions being related to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, major depressive disorder, sleep apnea, arthritis of the right and left knees, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and affording the Veteran an opportunity to provide additional evidence.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed as he withdrew his appeal for PTSD at the August 2010 hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent from April 2, 2004 through April 10, 2009. Since April 11, 2009, the rating for PTSD is denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for tuberculosis. The claim of service connection for depression was denied as well.