Depression decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and service connection have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeals.

The Veteran's claims for extraschedular ratings and TDIU were denied as her service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for such determinations.,The Board found that the Veteran’s service-connected conditions, including lumbosacral strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and major depressive disorder, are adequately contemplated by the current schedular ratings.

The Veteran's claim of a higher initial rating for PTSD/MDD is denied. The claim of service connection for insomnia is granted.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations regarding these claims were inadequate and remanded for further action. The Veteran's hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, bilateral eye blindness, back disability, right hip disability, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left ankle disability, and psychiatric disability (depression) are all being reviewed due to their inextricable connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a psychiatric disorder, specifically PTSD, due to inadequate examination and reasoning. The case is returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder, including an anxiety disorder and depressive disorders due to incomplete development of records from the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than depression disorder, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a diagnosis or link to service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including his brain tumor and seizure disorder, render him in need of regular aid and attendance due to their severity. The Board has granted entitlement to special monthly compensation based on this need.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, including MDD and SA. The Board found that there was no diagnosis of PTSD during the appeal period and that any pre-existing conditions were not aggravated by service.

The Veteran's insomnia is found to be a symptom of their service-connected PTSD and persistent depressive disorder, thus service connection for insomnia is granted.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder, and bilateral hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric condition is being reviewed again as there are inconsistencies in the medical records and need for clarification. For his hearing loss claim, a new VA examination is needed to determine if he has a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic lumbar spine disorder has been reopened and remanded. The claims for left knee disability, flat feet, depressive disorder, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), right hip disability, and history of left ankle fracture are also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, depression, a chronic gynecological disorder, and chronic headaches as the evidence did not meet the criteria for these conditions.,Service connection was not granted because there is no current disability meeting VA's threshold for hearing impairment or other claimed conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his generalized anxiety disorder, finding that the evidence did not show occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity as required for a higher rating.

A 70 percent initial disability rating for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) from January 19, 2012 is granted.,A 100 percent disability rating for MDD from January 19, 2012 is denied. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU for the period from August 4, 2015. The claim for TDIU prior to that date is remanded for referral to the Director of VA's Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for asbestosis related to pleural disease was denied. A 100% disability rating is granted from September 1, 2016, but the issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to that date remains pending.

The Veteran's persistent depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, but no higher, for the entire appeal period. The Board found that his symptoms more closely approximated a 70 percent rating and resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in judgment, thinking, family relations, work, mood, or school.

The Veteran's abdominal scars are granted as they were incurred during active service.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is denied due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.