Depression decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to unverified in-service stressors and events, requiring further development including obtaining deck logs of the USS Gunston Hall.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting additional examinations to address the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD disability was granted a 70% rating from June 14, 2007 to June 14, 2017. A TDIU was also granted from January 30, 2008 to June 14, 2017.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of major depressive disorder, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the prior rating decisions and that the correct facts were known at the time. The effective date was set as December 1, 2014.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and an addendum opinion on PTSD diagnosis criteria, secondary service connection claim, in-service stressor confirmation, and a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD.

The Board granted an effective date of November 3, 2008 for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) because the Veteran could not maintain substantially gainful employment since August 1, 2008.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to issues related to his erectile dysfunction, squamous cell carcinoma, and unspecified depressive disorder. The VA is required to conduct additional development regarding herbicide agent exposure and asbestos exposure allegations, as well as provide a medical opinion on the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for hypothyroidism and major depressive disorder are denied as there is no evidence to support higher ratings under the applicable criteria.

The Veteran's PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder and TBI was rated at 50 percent prior to July 16, 2018. Beginning on that date, the rating was increased to 70 percent.

The Board has determined that the VA examination report is inadequate and a new VA examination is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The issues on appeal are whether service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) should be granted.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress, sleep apnea, and tension headaches as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The rating of 20% is assigned for each condition.

The Veteran's salpingectomy scar is rated at a noncompensable level, but granted an initial 10 percent rating.,The Veteran’s amputation scar of the left middle finger remains at a noncompensable level.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for prostate cancer is granted at 100 percent. The issues of an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for PTSD, depression, and anxiety are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, but the issues of service connection for PTSD, depression, agitation, and anxiety disorders remain pending. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and conduct a new examination.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for skin rash, cold injury residuals, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The cases are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded as the Board finds sufficient lay and medical evidence to suggest that his service-connected disabilities, despite falling short of schedular criteria for TDIU consideration, may have prevented him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric condition, including depression. This includes obtaining relevant medical records from Social Security Administration and a private facility where the Veteran was incarcerated, as well as scheduling VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disability, particularly his claimed depressive disorder. The Veteran asserts that this condition is related to a motor vehicle accident during service in August 1975. Additional records are needed from Naval Hospital Lemoore and other treatment providers.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for DDD of the low back, service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to service-connected back disorder, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and bipolar disorder.