Depression Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, and sleep apnea due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for further medical examination.

The Board denied service connection for low back injury, right knee condition, erectile dysfunction, PFB, and depressive disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.,Service connection may not be presumed for any of these conditions as there is no evidence within one year of separation showing arthritis or other disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression, and for a total disability rating due to unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The decision found that the veteran's anxiety disorder existed prior to his entrance into military service and was not aggravated by service, while his depression is not etiologically related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and pancreatic cancer due to insufficient evidence. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is reopened, but denied on the merits. The claim for service connection for pancreatic cancer remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for further development. The right shoulder rating remains denied, while depressive disorder NOS with cannabis abuse and alcohol dependence is also denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include major depressive disorder, and hypertension need further development due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and need for further development, including a new VA psychiatric examination. The Veteran's claims include service connection for PTSD and other acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection, but his claims for an acquired psychiatric disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of a rating in excess of 50 percent for hysterical neurosis conversion type, service connection for major depressive disorder, and service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (claimed sleeping disorder) and migraine headaches due to inadequate previous VA opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression and carpal tunnel syndrome are remanded due to outstanding VA medical records of treatment since 2011. The Veteran must provide these records, or the case will be remanded again if they cannot be obtained.

The Board denied entitlement to an effective date prior to May 26, 2010 for the grants of service connection for residuals of TBI with depression, right knee replacement, left knee sprain with instability, right knee scar and left knee sprain with limitation of flexion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various psychiatric and musculoskeletal conditions were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD due to military sexual trauma, and thus could not establish service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of service connection prior to June 16, 2014 for PTSD. The decision found that the April 2012 rating decision was final and no new and material evidence had been submitted within one year.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability (depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder in remission) has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the claims for GERD, PTSD with MDD, and TDIU due to unresolved issues. Service connection for GERD is denied as there is no evidence of onset during service or a nexus to service. The Veteran's PTSD and MDD are currently rated at 70 percent but the Board finds that the current rating adequately reflects his disability.

The Veteran's depression and anxiety are currently rated at 50 percent from October 24, 2012 to March 27, 2014. The Board has granted a higher rating of 50 percent for this period. For the period after March 27, 2014, the Veteran's depression and anxiety are rated as remanded by the Board. The issues regarding chronic lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and right radiculopathy are also remanded.

An effective date of March 25, 2009 is granted for the assignment of a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's right knee chondromalacia patella was rated at 10 percent since March 25, 2009.

The Board has remanded the cases due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claim for additional evidentiary development, specifically to obtain treatment records from the Vet Center in Corpus Christi and VA treatment records from October 2019 to the present.

The Veteran's PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder is granted a 70 percent rating, effective from the entire appeal period. The right shoulder disability is granted an initial 20 percent rating from June 25, 2011 and denied any higher ratings thereafter.