Depression decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression and carpal tunnel syndrome are remanded due to outstanding VA medical records of treatment since 2011. The Veteran must provide these records, or the case will be remanded again if they cannot be obtained.

The Board denied entitlement to an effective date prior to May 26, 2010 for the grants of service connection for residuals of TBI with depression, right knee replacement, left knee sprain with instability, right knee scar and left knee sprain with limitation of flexion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various psychiatric and musculoskeletal conditions were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD due to military sexual trauma, and thus could not establish service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of service connection prior to June 16, 2014 for PTSD. The decision found that the April 2012 rating decision was final and no new and material evidence had been submitted within one year.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability (depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder in remission) has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the claims for GERD, PTSD with MDD, and TDIU due to unresolved issues. Service connection for GERD is denied as there is no evidence of onset during service or a nexus to service. The Veteran's PTSD and MDD are currently rated at 70 percent but the Board finds that the current rating adequately reflects his disability.

The Veteran's depression and anxiety are currently rated at 50 percent from October 24, 2012 to March 27, 2014. The Board has granted a higher rating of 50 percent for this period. For the period after March 27, 2014, the Veteran's depression and anxiety are rated as remanded by the Board. The issues regarding chronic lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and right radiculopathy are also remanded.

An effective date of March 25, 2009 is granted for the assignment of a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia patella was rated at 10 percent since March 25, 2009.

The Board has remanded the cases due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claim for additional evidentiary development, specifically to obtain treatment records from the Vet Center in Corpus Christi and VA treatment records from October 2019 to the present.

The Veteran's PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder is granted a 70 percent rating, effective from the entire appeal period. The right shoulder disability is granted an initial 20 percent rating from June 25, 2011 and denied any higher ratings thereafter.

The Board has granted service connection for Major Depressive Disorder, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his time in active duty. The decision is based on expert medical opinions and the presence of stressors experienced during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to new evidence being added to the record.

All previously denied claims for service connection have been dismissed.,A noncompensable rating has been granted for bilateral ankle sprains since June 3, 2005.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, type 2 diabetes mellitus, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, sleep disorder (obstructive sleep apnea), acquired psychiatric disorders (PTSD, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder), right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative joint disease, right hip degenerative joint disease, left hip degenerative joint disease, right foot degenerative joint disease, and hypertension.,The Board found no evidence of in-service noise exposure for hearing loss or Agent Orange exposure for diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's service records did not document Vietnam service.

The Veteran's MDD and PTSD have been rated at 50 percent for the entire period on appeal. The Board has now granted a rating of 70 percent, effective from the date of this decision.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain. The Veteran's TDIU claims are denied prior to November 5, 2008 and after August 14, 2012.

Service connection has been granted for a right shoulder disability, low back disability, neck disability, and psychiatric disability (depressive disorder).,The effective date of the service connection is November 15, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of depressive disorder was granted, but the TDIU claim was denied. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, diagnosed as depressive disorder, is granted due to its increase in severity being proximately due to his service-connected disabilities. His tinnitus and basal cell carcinoma are not related to service or any incident therein. The voiding dysfunction, DM2 with hypertension and erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities and lower extremities, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have been found to aggravate his depressive disorder.