Depression Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination due to issues with verifying a claimed stressor and applying the correct legal standard for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claims of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for various conditions are remanded due to the need for a medical opinion addressing whether these conditions resulted from events not reasonably foreseeable as a result of VA treatment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened and is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed neck and back disorders as well as his acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left ear hearing loss and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder have been remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including a depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder, did not begin during her active military service. The evidence shows that she had pre-existing conditions prior to enlistment, and her current symptoms are considered to be part of her natural progression.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased initial evaluation for his service-connected major depressive disorder is remanded due to a procedural defect and lack of contemporaneous evidence. The Veteran needs to be scheduled for a VA psychiatric examination to assess the current severity and manifestations of his disability.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal regarding an earlier effective date for his right hip disability rating. The claims of service connection for hypertension, heart disability, sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disorder, and acid reflux have been reopened due to new evidence received since previous decisions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for depressive disorder and anxiety disorder is denied as there was no prior communication indicating intent to file a claim before September 11, 2012.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a spine condition manifesting in back pain, including fibromyalgia and degenerative arthritis, paralysis of the sciatic nerve of both lower extremities, major depressive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).,The remaining issues have been denied due to insufficient evidence or lack of nexus between service and current conditions.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for the Veteran's right hip disability and left hip disability is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for major depressive disorder, including as due to a service-connected disability. The Veteran needs to be examined to determine the current nature and etiology of his claimed major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA eligibility are granted as of August 1, 2013. The effective date is based on the reduction in his psychiatric disability rating from 100% to 70%. The Veteran had a permanent total service-connected disability prior to this effective date.

The Veteran's disability ratings for lumbosacral strain and unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, cannabis use disorder and traumatic brain injury were restored to their previous levels.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD and mental health conditions was readjudicated and granted. The claim for alcohol use disorder and polysubstance use disorders remains denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic disability in service or related to service. The Veteran's claim for TDIU is also denied due to the lack of any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The claim is also reopened due to new evidence received since the final January 2012 denial.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased evaluation of major depressive disorder and service connection for PTSD due to in-service stressors. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the PTSD claim.

The Board has remanded several claims for additional development, including those related to the Veteran's neck disorder, neuropathy of bilateral upper and lower extremities, hip disorder, sleep apnea, right knee surgical scar, traumatic arthritis of the right knee, bilateral hearing loss, lumbar strain with degenerative osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, foot disorders (pes planus, metatarsalgia, hammertoes, hallux valgus, plantar fasciitis, and degenerative joint disease), and psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of depressive disorder with unspecified insomnia is granted, effective from May 6, 2014. The Board also remanded the case to assign an initial rating for the period from May 6, 2014 to May 31, 2017.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his claims, including additional VA treatment records and a June 2019 VA mental disorders examination. The issues include various disability ratings and service connection claims.