Depression Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and medical opinions related to his TDIU claim. The Board will then reassess the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, gastrointestinal disability, headache disability, and memory loss are not related to his service. The claims for these conditions have been remanded due to the need for additional development regarding potential exposure to environmental hazards during service.

The Veteran's cause of death and burial benefits claims are being remanded due to the need for further development regarding substitution as the appellant is seeking to continue his pending service connection claims.

The Veteran's initial ratings for low back disability and insomnia with depression (formerly) were denied.,For the period from June 19, 2015 through July 9, 2017, the Veteran’s service-connected low back disorder was rated at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for depression, headaches, and sleep apnea. The VA is instructed to provide a supplemental opinion addressing whether these conditions are related to service or caused by any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back disability, right and left hip disabilities, tinnitus, sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder are denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for a back disability. Service connection is granted for tinnitus as related to service-connected PTSD. Service connection is also granted for sleep apnea as caused by service-connected PTSD. Other conditions remain denied.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depressive disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has ordered a remand to determine if he should be evaluated for a higher rating due to worsening symptoms.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as aggravated by service-connected cervical and lumbar spine disabilities. The left knee disability is denied as not secondary to service-connected conditions. The claim for a rating greater than 30 percent for left upper extremity radiculopathy remains pending.

The petition to reopen the service connection claim for a back disability was denied.,The petition to reopen the service connection claim for depression was granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development, including an adequate examination of the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities and a determination regarding their relationship to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar and thoracic spine arthritis, as well as his claim for TDIU prior to July 26, 2016, have been dismissed. The Board found that the evidence did not show that these conditions rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 26, 2016. From July 26, 2016, the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether his service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to work.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his major depressive disorder is denied as the evidence does not show that his symptoms have caused occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to April 25, 2017 was denied as the evidence did not show he was unemployable due solely to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the right ankle condition and denied an increased rating for depression. The issue of entitlement to a higher rating for the lumbar spine disability is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination and treatment records, requiring an additional VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any currently present psychiatric disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination reports and the need for a new one with an appropriate clinician to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including persistent depressive disorder, other specific stressor-related disorder and substance abuse in remission, is granted as service connected.

The claim of service connection for schizophrenia is granted, while the claims for back condition, cervical condition, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and sinusitis are dismissed. The issue of left foot condition was withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is being remanded for a new examination to assess its current severity, and the TDIU claim requires additional employment information.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional development. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, depression, alcoholism, left knee condition, right knee condition, left hip condition, right hip condition, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition.