Depression Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for a new VA medical opinion. The claim will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's right knee scars are not associated with underlying soft tissue damage and do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,There is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran’s low back disorder or left knee disorder are related to service. The Veteran should be provided another opportunity for an examination.,The Veteran has been diagnosed with depression, which may be related to his in-service motorcycle accident. A VA examination is needed to assess the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorders.,VA examinations are needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right knee arthritis and instability.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for service-connected depression and TBI prior to May 23, 2016 and entitlement to TDIU prior to January 7, 2014 due to insufficient evidence or procedural errors.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development and examination. The effective date of service connection for GERD remains January 31, 2018, as the earliest communication that may reasonably be interpreted as a valid claim was received on this date. For his depressive disorder, an increased rating beyond 50 percent is pending. His left hip disabilities remain at their current assigned ratings.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and recurrent major depressive disorder, is rated at 70 percent from May 3, 2011 to the present. The Veteran also received a TDIU rating from May 31, 2013 to the present.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for an earlier effective date for service connection, a higher initial rating for major depressive disorder, and an earlier effective date for TDIU. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date for service connection is pending.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to uncertainty regarding the Veteran's reported traumatic event during service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for PTSD and Depression, which are currently considered related to his active duty service.

The Board has dismissed the legacy appeals for service connection for sleep apnea, a rating higher than 30 percent for PTSD with major depressive disorder, and TDIU. The Veteran's VA Form 10182 was received within the required timeframe to opt into the AMA review system, thus these issues are no longer under consideration in the legacy system.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his low back condition and for TDIU due to inextricably intertwined issues. The RO is instructed to issue a Statement of the Case addressing the low back claim.

The Veteran's persistent depressive disorder and left inferior pubic ramus stress fracture were not granted increased ratings, with the exception of a 10 percent rating for the stress fracture. The Veteran was denied TDIU prior to May 3, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hand condition, back condition, neck condition, left arm condition, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and headaches have been denied. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against finding a direct or secondary relationship between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient efforts in verifying the Veteran's claimed stressors and incomplete VA examinations. The claim will be reviewed again with additional development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened and granted. The TDIU claim is remanded due to the pending determination of a disability rating for PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with symptoms of depression and other acquired psychiatric disabilities. The issue of entitlement to Total Disability due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, diabetes mellitus (Type II), left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The claim for a higher rating for PTSD prior to October 29, 2018, and thereafter is remanded due to outstanding private treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his active duty service in Afghanistan.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and TDIU due to incomplete development of evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new mental health examination to determine if any current psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder and/or anxiety, is related to the Veteran's service or caused by his service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obesity and depression have been reopened, but the Board has not decided whether these conditions are related to his service-connected right heel disability. The rating for his right heel disability remains remanded.,The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The appeal regarding service connection for a left shoulder disability is dismissed.,TDIU for the period prior to July 2, 2012 is granted. SMC based on statutory housebound status under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) for the period beginning September 15, 2014, and no earlier, is granted.,The issue of TDIU for the period prior to July 2, 2012 is remanded.