Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2000

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral metatarsalgia with history of calcaneal spurs due to new evidence submitted since the final February 1993 rating decision. The claim of PTSD is considered well grounded.,However, the issue of whether there was a nexus between the in-service stressors and current psychiatric disability remains unresolved.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was etiologically related to a service-connected disorder, specifically his psychiatric condition. The appellant is also eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance in accordance with Chapter 35, Title 38 of the United States Code.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for schizophrenia and has determined that new evidence supports this reopening, leading to a grant of service connection with a 70% rating.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed stressor did not occur during service and could not be verified. The diagnosis of PTSD is based on the veteran's self-reported history, which was not corroborated by evidence. As a result, the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, was denied.

The Board found no evidence of a well-grounded claim for service connection for residuals of a closed head injury. The claims for increased rating for low back disability and compensable rating for residuals of fractured ribs were also denied.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected paranoid schizophrenia was denied due to failure to report for VA examinations without providing good cause.

The Board has found that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability. The case is now remanded for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that the claim was not well-grounded and denied it.

The veteran's service-connected schizophrenia has resulted in an effective date of October 23, 1996 for a total rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the appellant's claim to reopen his service connection for schizophrenia, finding that the new evidence submitted was not material.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have post-traumatic stress disorder, but schizophrenia, paranoid type, was incurred during service.

The Board has granted service connection for a stomach disability and an increased rating for back and psychiatric disabilities. The veteran's stomach disability is found to be related to his in-service diagnosis of GERD, which he continues to experience post-service. For the back disability, the Board determined that the current 20% rating adequately reflects the moderate limitation of motion and functional loss due to pain. For the psychiatric disability, the noncompensable rating was maintained as the GAF score of 80 indicates no more than slight impairment in social functioning.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a well-grounded claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, residuals of malnutrition, left shoulder fracture, or jaw fracture. The Board also found no evidence to support service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the appellant is not a proper claimant for burial benefits at the rate prescribed for a service-connected death.

The veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD should be remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the occurrence of an inservice stressor. The case will be referred back to the RO for further development, including verification of a specific stressor and a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no relationship between current psychiatric disability and his service, including any symptoms noted therein.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected psychiatric disorder has been dismissed due to the death of the veteran.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for schizophrenia, undifferentiated type.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include schizophrenia, and residuals of stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIA's), finding that there is no competent medical evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and his military service.