Depression Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and initial disability ratings due to new VA treatment records being added to the file. The AOJ will review these records and readjudicate the claims.

The Veteran was previously able to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 1, 2010. From June 1, 2010, to August 12, 2018, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented her from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.,From August 13, 2018, the TDIU rating is moot as she has a combined 100% schedular disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and SMC have been fully granted, with the effective dates of the awards being June 2019. The Board finds that no further issues remain for consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, chest pain, nerve twitching, stomach cramps, and left ankle disorder have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection has been granted for these conditions.,Service connection has also been granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression) secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence and need further examination or medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disability, including schizophrenia, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and review of existing records.

The Veteran's claim for earlier effective date of August 20, 2016, but not earlier, for the grant of service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claims for service connection for cervical and back disabilities are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development due to the need for new VA examinations to assess his service-connected depressive disorder and bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected major depressive disorder. The claim will be reconsidered with additional examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinions regarding all acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The Veteran should be provided with a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in the April 2019 rating decision because the appellant has already received the correct amount of attorney fees, and the Veteran was paid the full amount withheld based on an Audit Error Worksheet.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depression and anxious mood has been rated at 50 percent, but the Board granted a 70 percent rating based on her suicidal ideation and other symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, finding that the Veteran's consistent and credible lay statements, combined with his military and medical records, place the evidence in equipoise as to whether he experienced the death of a shipmate during service. The VA examiner concluded it was at least as likely as not that the Veteran’s currently diagnosed PTSD was due to his naval service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability rating and TDIU due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives, including scheduling a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia and unspecified depressive disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a direct or secondary relationship between his current conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is granted service connection. The issues of diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, multiple myeloma, and hepatitis are remanded for further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including as secondary to service-connected disabilities, should be remanded for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder and alcohol abuse has not caused total occupational and social impairment, so the claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate June 2018 VA examination, and a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorders related to his service.

The Board has remanded the claims for an increased rating for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, as well as for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability. The issues are being remanded due to inadequate consideration of relevant evidence in the previous decisions.