Depression decisions — 2020

The Veteran withdrew his claims for increased ratings in excess of 60 percent for a lung disability, 50 percent for depressive disorder, and 30 percent for coronary artery disease. As a result, these issues are dismissed.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including PTSD, ED, incontinence with urinary frequency, coronary artery disease status post pacemaker implant, and residuals of a stroke disability. The TDIU claim is also on appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and examinations. The Veteran's psychiatric, right shoulder, and bilateral knee conditions are being reviewed again.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination findings and a need for further development of the record, including obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for depression, sarcoidosis, bilateral hearing loss, a bilateral knee disorder, and a low back disorder due to his death.

The Board has remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disability prior to April 20, 2009. The case is referred to VA’s Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The appeal pertaining to the issue of entitlement to service connection for depression is dismissed. The Veteran's back disorder, diagnosed as lumbar intervertebral disc displacement, lumbar stenosis, spinal instabilities, low back pain, lumbar radiculopathy, and multilevel disc degeneration, is related to his military service. The appeal pertaining to the initial rating in excess of 30 percent prior to February 6, 2019, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter for PTSD is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection, TDIU, and nonservice-connected pension benefits due to incomplete development. The claims will be reconsidered with additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a lack of a contemporaneous VA examination for the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and because the issues are inextricably intertwined.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for depressive disorder and for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The claims will be reconsidered with consideration of all relevant evidence added since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other specified trauma and stress related disorder have been reopened. Service connection has been granted for anxiety. The issues of service connection for PTSD, depression, and other specified trauma and stress related disorder are being remanded to determine if the symptoms are separate from those of anxiety.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with persistent depressive disorder and schizophrenia, but the case is remanded to consider entitlement to a TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn, and the Board has dismissed all related issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder, has been granted. However, the claim for PTSD remains denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder is granted. The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension and a sleep disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depression and alcohol dependence is not rated higher than 70 percent, while his service-connected status post total left knee arthroplasty associated with right sciatic nerve paralysis as a residual of shell fragment wound of the right thigh and right leg is also denied.

The Veteran seeks an effective date of December 14, 1996 for service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder. The Board has remanded the case due to the intertwined nature with a CUE motion regarding the August 1997 rating decision.

The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder is related to his service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and Bipolar Disorder. The claim will be reconsidered with additional development.