Depression decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and depressive disorder were denied. The Veteran was granted service connection for migraine headaches as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus. Service connection for a right shoulder disability was granted with an initial rating of 30 percent effective March 14, 2011.

The Veteran withdrew his pending claims for right arm neuropathy and atrophy to the right shoulder, as secondary to service-connected acromioclavicular separation of the right shoulder, and a depressive disorder. As a result, these claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since November 8, 2013. This rating is granted for the entire duration of the appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder is denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosed condition.,Direct service connection for alcohol dependence is denied due to the Veteran's own willful misconduct.,Service connection for skin disorder (undiagnosed illness) is denied as there is no objective evidence of signs or symptoms.,Service connection for left lower extremity numbness and right lower extremity numbness (undiagnosed illness) are denied as there is no objective evidence of signs or symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA examination and opinion to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder. The examiner is asked to address whether any diagnosed conditions are related to his active military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examination and incomplete medical records. The Veteran's psychiatric condition, including anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and adjustment disorder, is being reviewed for service connection.

The Veteran's depression and PTSD have been granted service connection. The initial disability rating for PTSD has been increased to 70 percent, effective May 9, 2009, and the Veteran is now eligible for a total disability rating due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder and remanded the issue of service connection for alcohol dependence.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and Depressive Disorder, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for obstructive sleep apnea and psychiatric disorders due to incomplete records from SSA and VA. The Veteran's service connection claim will be further examined with a VA examination.

The Veteran's headache disability is rated at 50% effective July 24, 2015. The Board found that the Veteran's headaches are severe enough to prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected depression and headaches.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's previous denial of service connection for depression should be reopened due to new and material evidence. The case is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if his current depression is related to his military service, specifically whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability and/or lumbar spine disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and examination, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability causes occupational and social impairment, leading to a TDIU determination. The case is remanded for further examination of his PTSD.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary due to outstanding VA and private treatment records for the cause of death claim. The appellant's request for substitution will also be addressed during this process.

The Veteran's anxiety and depressive disorder are granted as secondary to service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's insomnia is granted as secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, lumbar myositis (back condition), degenerative arthritis of the knees, tinnitus, left foot arthritis, right hip and left hip conditions, left ankle and right ankle conditions, a bilateral foot condition, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder(s), including PTSD and depression.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, including major depression with pseudo-dementia and memory loss/cognitive impairment, as the evidence did not show that these conditions were related to service.

The Veteran's nonservice-connected pension claim for the period prior to October 1, 2017 was denied as he did not meet the permanent and total disability requirement due to his non-service-connected conditions.