Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim for service connection for a back disorder is denied as there is no competent evidence of a nexus between his current back disabilities and inservice disease or injury.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is not well-grounded. The claim fails because there is no current diagnosis of PTSD and the evidence does not establish a link between any diagnosed condition and service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a psychiatric disability other than PTSD, right ear hearing loss, gastritis, and muscle tension/migraine headaches have not been well grounded. The claim for low back sprain has been granted with a 20% rating, while the claim for right knee disability has been granted with a 10% rating.

The veteran's nicotine dependence and acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and anxiety) are found to be related to his service-connected coronary arteriosclerosis. His bronchitis is not currently shown, but he has been granted service connection for arthritis of the right index finger. The other claims have either been denied or require further development.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as the appellant has abandoned his claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for a personal hearing before a member of the Board at the RO. The veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD is pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's schizophrenia, paranoid type warrants a 100 percent schedular evaluation under the criteria in effect prior to November 7, 1996.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder is not related to his in-service symptoms and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal for reimbursement of private medical expenses is denied as the criteria for reimbursement are not met.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the veteran's death, and no jurisdiction remains for adjudicating the merits of the claim.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's neuropsychiatric disorder or right lung disorder to his active service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's attempt to reopen his claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and also denied his increased rating claim. The decision is final as it was not appealed.

The Board denied a disability evaluation in excess of 50 percent for schizophrenia, schizoaffective type, due to the evidence not showing more than considerable impairment of social and industrial adaptability.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) denied the veteran's claim for service connection for chronic schizophrenia, concluding that his preexisting condition did not worsen during service and was not aggravated.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of clear and unmistakable error in prior rating decisions for schizophrenia, schizoaffective type. The issue of an increased disability evaluation for schizophrenia, schizoaffective type, remains pending.

The veteran's overpayment of improved disability pension benefits is waived due to the circumstances outlined, including his financial hardship and lack of fault in creating the overpayment.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder. However, it denied the claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder due to lack of verifiable stressor and inability to substantiate the diagnosis.

The Board denied reopening the veteran's claim for service connection of residuals of a back injury and also denied his secondary service connection claim for ischemic heart disease.

The veteran's death is not service-connected, but the RO should consider whether he would have been entitled to DIC benefits due to his pre-service mental disorder.

The Board denied service connection for alcohol dependence and psychiatric disorder other than alcohol dependence, but granted a non-compensable evaluation for the status-post blow-out fracture of the right eye.