Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2000

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD and granted it, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the veteran suffers from PTSD resulting from combat experiences.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and a need for additional medical examination.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals found that the veteran is competent to manage his own affairs, including handling VA funds, and granted this appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal to reopen his claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no new and material evidence submitted.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and the need for further examination. The veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder is pending.

The veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for a video-conference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia. The Board will now proceed to consider whether all of the evidence, both old and new, warrants a grant of service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and found that the appellant's psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and dysthymia, is a lifetime impairment sufficient to render him unemployable. The veteran also meets the criteria for non-service connected pension due to his disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to a finding of clear and unmistakable error in a rating decision from February 1979, which did not consider intervertebral disc syndrome. The veteran served on the Enewetak Atoll Clean Up project where he was exposed to radiation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's schizophrenia is service-connected, resolving all doubts in his favor.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for gastrointestinal disorder, chronic fatigue, back and joint pain, psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (depression, anxiety), and PTSD. The reasons were that there was no medical evidence of a causal link between the veteran's symptoms and his active duty service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has decided to remand the case again due to questions regarding whether any current psychiatric disease is related to or the same as manifested during service. The veteran's former wife stated that he received psychiatric treatment from St. John's Hospital before his entrance into active service, but VA only requested evidence of treatment after the veteran's separation from service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and to reopen his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board has determined that the evidence is insufficient to establish service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to a psychiatric disorder, as it was not linked to his active military service.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and a psychiatric disorder, as the RO has not attempted to obtain all relevant medical records.

The Board found new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for schizophrenia, but did not make a determination on whether this condition is related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to new and material evidence submitted, including VA medical opinions linking PTSD to his military service.

The veteran withdrew his appeal, so the case is dismissed.

The Board found new and material evidence to reopen the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but concluded that the preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that the veteran's condition was incurred in or aggravated by his period of active duty.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a chronic lung disability, and bilateral eye disability. The right ear hearing loss was rated at Level II.