Depression Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder is not reopened due to lack of material evidence. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety and depression, secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss is granted. Service connection for hypertension is denied. The effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is set at March 30, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is reopened, and the appeal is granted. The Board also remanded the case to obtain additional evidence and conduct a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating for various conditions, including low back disorder, bilateral foot disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), and bilateral hearing loss. Additional evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service or events therein.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorders, specifically PTSD and anxiety disorder. The VA is required to obtain a new medical opinion from an examiner other than the February 2012 VA examiner to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis in accordance with the DSM-5 based on MST.

The claim of service connection for PTSD has been reopened, but the issues related to active duty for training dates and other acquired psychiatric disorders need further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder and a left knee disability, have been denied. The rating for diabetes mellitus remains unchanged.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD and cervical spine disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted TDIU based on the benefit of the doubt.

The Board has denied service connection for cold injuries and depression. The claims of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim for service connection for bilateral flat feet, generalized primary osteoarthritis, knee replacement resulting from bone cancer, hypertension, prostate cancer, diabetes, and migraine headaches are remanded due to missing service treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims for Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to incomplete records, including service personnel records. The VA will seek additional evidence and conduct a mental health assessment to determine if the veteran's anxiety disorder is related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal of the initial disability ratings for tinnitus, PTSD with major depressive disorder prior to March 7, 2016, lumbar arthritis, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and left ear hearing loss has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal for tinnitus. The remaining issues are being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine appropriate disability ratings for his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, depression, anxiety, and mood disorder, is also denied due to lack of credible supporting evidence corroborating the claimed in-service stressors.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in relative equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension was caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder. The claim for service connection for hypertension is granted.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection claims for various disabilities, as well as a TDIU claim and an earlier effective date claim for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease. The appellant is required to provide updated VA treatment records and identify any outstanding private treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and other conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of August 10, 2009. The Board granted an effective date of August 10, 2009 for the grant of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorders, may be service connected. However, further examination is needed to determine if any of these conditions were aggravated by service or if they are superimposed on a pre-existing personality disorder.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder have been rated at 30 percent prior to June 27, 2013; 50 percent from June 27, 2013 to April 25, 2016; and 100 percent since April 25, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, specifically bipolar disorder and dysthymic disorder, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected residuals of right pelvis fracture. The claim for PTSD remains remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examinations and evaluations to determine the current severity of his service-connected conditions, including PTSD, migraine headaches, right hip disability, ventricular arrhythmia, and tinnitus. The effective date for service connection remains January 24, 2013.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as psychotic disorder NOS and depressive disorder NOS. The Veteran's psychiatric disorder was present in service and has continued since that time.