Depression Board decisions

The Board remanded the claim for service connection for anxiety/depression to correct a duty to assist error. The Veteran will receive a VA medical examination.

The veteran's service connection for trunk and right underarm scars, and left lower leg scar is granted with an effective date of March 31, 2020. Other claims, including those for head, face, or neck scars, and higher ratings for various conditions, are denied.

The veteran's initial rating for major depressive disorder is granted at 70% effective August 12, 2011.

The veteran's request for a higher disability rating for tinnitus was denied. All other claims for service connection were remanded for further review.

The Board remanded the claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea due to new and relevant evidence. The Veteran's buddy statement about his symptoms during service was not considered in prior decisions.

The veteran's claim for service connection for depression and PTSD was granted based on new and relevant evidence.

The veteran's service connection for PTSD, anxiety, and depression related to guarding chemical and biological warfare weapons is granted.

The veteran is granted an effective date of August 26, 2014 for Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance. The decision is mixed because the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date was denied.

The Board granted some issues, denied others, and remanded several for further development. The veteran's ratings for onychomycosis and GERD were restored to 30 percent. Effective dates for service connection for right shoulder surgical scars and lumbar spine surgical scar were granted. Several other issues were denied or dismissed.

The veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been granted. The OSA is considered secondary to the veteran's service-connected depressive disorder.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD service connection was denied. Claims for major depressive disorder, insomnia, hyperglyceridemia, lipoma, and sleep apnea were remanded.

The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) from April 10, 2009, through March 19, 2014, and an effective date of April 10, 2009, for the award of Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and chronic depression. The decision was based on the severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms not meeting the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board remanded the veteran's claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder and arteriosclerotic heart disease due to errors in the VA's duty to assist.

The veteran's claim for sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected PTSD is granted. The Board found that the symptoms associated with the veteran's PTSD caused his sleep apnea.

The Board denied service connection for major depression and anxiety disorder, finding that the evidence does not show these conditions began during or are related to active service.

The Board remanded the veteran's claim for service connection of PTSD and other acquired psychiatric disorders. The Board found errors in verifying stressors and obtaining adequate medical opinions.

The veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, secondary to a service-connected depressive disorder due to chronic pain associated with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, was granted. The decision is based on evidence showing that obesity caused by the depressive disorder led to the sleep apnea.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for ratings of major depressive disorder and right lower extremity neuropathy. The issues of service connection for right hip disability, left hip disability, and erectile dysfunction were remanded.

The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder other than schizophrenia.