Depression decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, due to insufficient evidence linking her current conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection as secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus due to insufficient opinions in the February 2017 VA examination report. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to missing service treatment records from November 1978 to February 1979.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular requirements and, even when considering extra-schedular factors, he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Major Depressive Disorder had its onset during his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran requested to withdraw all issues currently pending before the Board, including those related to his left knee and right elbow disabilities, as well as a depressive disorder. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for osteoporosis and hypertension, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active service. The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and major depression are being remanded for further examination and opinion.,Service connection cannot be established as the Veteran did not have a current disability during service or within one year of discharge, nor can it be presumed based on chronic diseases.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination to assess his current employment impact from service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to missing service treatment records and incomplete National Guard service information.

The claim to reopen the finally disallowed PTSD claim is granted. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and PTSD, is denied.

The appellant is not entitled to an increased rate of DIC benefits as the Veteran had a total disability rating for less than eight years immediately preceding his death.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxious distress is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of this decision. The TDIU was granted prior to June 19, 2018.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left hand disability, traumatic brain injury (TBI), headaches as secondary to TBI, and major depressive disorder as secondary to TBI. The evidence did not establish that any of these conditions were related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and a mood disorder, as well as COPD due to herbicide exposure. Additional evidence is needed from VA and Social Security Administration records, and a medical opinion is required regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA mental health examination to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disorder had its onset in service or is related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to conflicting medical opinions regarding his employability due to service-connected major depressive disorder. A new VA examination is needed to determine the effects of this condition on his ability to work.

The Board has granted service connection for depressive disorder but has remanded the issue of service connection for degenerative joint disease of bilateral knees.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder and history of organic brain syndrome, is rated at 100 percent due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and higher ratings on multiple conditions has been dismissed. Service connection for a psychiatric disability was granted.

The Board restored service connection for GERD and granted service connection for major depressive disorder as secondary to GERD. Service connection for PTSD was denied.