Depression decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inadequate notification of a scheduled VA examination.

The Veteran's TDIU rating is granted, and service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include depressive disorder, has been reopened. The Board finds that additional development is needed due to the passage of time since the last VA examination and the need to obtain Social Security Administration records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence. The claim for acquired psychiatric disability remains denied.

The Veteran's fatty liver disease is granted a 10% rating from October 22, 2014. The anxiety disorder is granted a 50% rating from October 22, 2014 to July 5, 2017 and a 70% rating from July 5, 2017 to April 1, 2019. The Veteran's atrial fibrillation and carpal tunnel syndromes are granted initial ratings of 10%.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence, including missing VA and private treatment records from his time in Frankfurt, Germany. The Veteran is also asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain these records.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary due to the complexity of the claims and the need for a medical opinion. The Veteran's conditions are related to chemotherapy administered at the VA Medical Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and earlier effective dates have been dismissed. A rating of 50 percent has been granted for posttraumatic cephalgia with migraine headaches from September 19, 2011 to June 17, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for unspecified depressive disorder with psychotic features was denied. A TDIU was granted effective January 13, 2015.

The Veteran's depression is rated at 70 percent from October 7, 2010 to June 29, 2017. The appeal for a higher initial evaluation and an earlier effective date for DEA benefits was granted.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for depression, including as secondary to a service-connected right knee disability and/or a service-connected lumbar spine (low back) disability due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death is related to service, including his service-connected testicular cancer.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's PTSD diagnosis and unverified in-service stressors. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to determine if they have any current psychiatric disorders, including PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding her TDIU claim and other service connection issues. The Board cannot proceed with the remaining claims until this information is obtained.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is aggravated by his service-connected Adjustment Disorder with Depression and Anxiety.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claims of service connection for PTSD and Depression, but has remanded to obtain a new medical examination to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with anxious distress is rated at 70 percent, the highest available rating under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The appeal was denied as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for depression as there is no current diagnosis of the condition and no evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of PTSD and TDIU have been denied. The case has been remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD due to service and therefore, cannot establish service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability.