Depression decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the appeal is remanded for further examination and evaluation regarding a neurological disorder (to include Parkinson's disease), heart disability, chest disability, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and major depressive disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and hypertension due to inadequate medical opinions and inextricably intertwined issues.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of PTSD, Major Depression, and Traumatic Brain Injury with Memory Loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the effective date of his tinnitus service connection was not advanced as requested.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, including depression, dysthymic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and adjustment disorder, is now rated at 70% effective September 24, 2004. The Veteran also received a TDIU effective the same date.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder, insomnia, and anxiety was rated at 50 percent prior to August 22, 2019. The claim for a higher rating is denied. A TDIU was granted from August 22, 2019 but the case is dismissed as moot due to his current schedular rating of 100 percent and other service-connected disabilities not meeting the required combined total rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran currently suffers from any psychiatric conditions and whether these conditions are related to his service.

The Board has granted service connection for depression as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise that the Veteran's current diagnosis of depression is proximately due to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including Major Depressive Disorder and PTSD), and chronic cough. The Veteran's claims are pending as they have not been fully adjudicated.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, panic disorder, or depression.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 30 percent prior to January 6, 2020 and 50 percent thereafter. The case was remanded for further development regarding her left arm disability and TDIU claim. Her depressive disorder remains in need of higher ratings.

The Board granted an 80% evaluation for the Veteran's seizure disorder on and after December 8, 2016. The decision also denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder due to military sexual trauma or secondary to his service-connected seizure disorder.

The Board has remanded both issues for further development and to provide the Veteran with adequate VA medical opinions regarding his claimed psychiatric disorders and sexual dysfunction condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of testicular cancer and depression, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for depressive disorder prior to February 3, 2018. The effective date for service connection was denied and the Veteran's cause of death due to myelofibrosis is acknowledged.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his respiratory failure was not caused by or related to his active duty service, nor were his service-connected disabilities a contributing factor.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder, is granted as service-connected.,A 20 percent rating for left sciatic nerve is granted. The effective date of this grant is October 23, 2020.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an increased rating for depressive disorder, and a TDIU due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for hypertension, GERD, and left ear hearing loss has been dismissed. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for major depression is denied. An effective date of August 24, 2018, for the award of a 70 percent rating for major depression is granted.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for additional development, including obtaining deck logs from the U.S. Navy ship USS Kitty Hawk and VA treatment records.