Depression Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate April 2014 VA examination and a need for further evaluation of the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetic retinopathy, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction has been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral cataracts have been dismissed as the evidence does not support a finding of service connection on any basis.,Service connection has been granted for unspecified depressive disorder secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The appeal for a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.,Ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for unspecified depressive disorder and left knee osteoarthritis have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal in a December 2018 written correspondence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression as secondary to bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains denied, and the petition to reopen his claim for tinnitus has been granted.

The Veteran's PTSD rating was restored to 50 percent effective January 1, 2015. The TDIU entitlement was also restored from that date.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU rating effective prior to February 27, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for dermatitis and an acquired psychiatric disability due to insufficient evidence. The appellant will be provided with examinations to determine if he currently has these conditions, and whether they are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and increased rating for a left shoulder disability. The claims are being remanded to allow for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, major depressive disorder, and urinary tract disorders have been remanded due to the need for further development. The claim for left testicular varicocele remains denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities combined to render him materially less capable of resisting his heart disease, which caused his death.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hepatitis C was denied, but his claim for depressive disorder was granted. The Board found the evidence at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's depressive disorder is related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including deviated septum, chronic/allergic rhinitis, radiculopathy, PTSD, and a psychiatric disorder, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of a current diagnosis or insufficient link between symptoms and service.

The Board has determined that the original grants of service connection for depressive disorder not otherwise specified, alcohol abuse, and alcohol induced persisting dementia were clearly erroneous due to the Veteran's willful misconduct in abusing alcohol. The appeal is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD and PDD have not been manifested by total occupational and social impairment at any point of the appeal period, so an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent is denied.

The Veteran's claims for depressive disorder NOS and major depressive disorder as secondary to service-connected disabilities, as well as left knee disorder (patellofemoral pain syndrome) as secondary to right knee disorders are all granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The claims for increased ratings of anxiety disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, total arthroplasty of the left knee, and chronic tendonitis of the left arm are all denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and generalized anxiety disorder, is related to his service-connected irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and thus grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as service-connected. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, secondary to his service-connected disabilities, is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of in-service stressors and the need for a VA psychiatric examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of each diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed mental disorders, including PTSD. A new VA examination is needed to determine if any acquired psychiatric disorder is caused by or aggravated by service.