Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2000

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a nervous disorder, residuals of an eye injury, residuals of a nose injury, and dizziness (vertigo) as his claims were not well-grounded due to lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his period of active service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for paranoid schizophrenia and determined that new and material evidence has been submitted. The claim is well-grounded, as there is a current diagnosis of this disability, competent lay and medical evidence showing symptoms associated with psychosis during active service or within the initial postservice year, and competent medical evidence linking such symptomatology to a chronic major Axis I disorder.

The Board found that the veteran's claims of PTSD, schizophrenia, and low back disability were not well grounded due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as bipolar disorder. However, the decision is mixed, with some issues granted and others not.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and the entitlement to increased ratings for synovitis of both knees. The issues related to service-connected pulmonary sarcoidosis were addressed in a separate issue.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material, thus denying the reopening of the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder as secondary to a service-connected cervical spine disorder.

The Board is remanding the case to the RO for preparation of a supplemental statement of the case due to submission of additional evidence. The veteran and his representative will have an opportunity to respond before the appeal is returned to the Board.

The Board has ordered additional development due to incomplete records and non-compliance with prior remand orders. The case will be reviewed again after the requested development is completed.

The Board has dismissed the motion to review a final decision denying service connection for psychiatric and gastro-intestinal disorders due to its withdrawal.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder due to new evidence submitted since the final denial in June 1981. However, the claim is not well-grounded as there is no substantial evidence showing that the veteran's current psychiatric condition is related to his military service.

The Board finds that the appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for anxiety as secondary to service-connected aortoiliac occlusive disease, peripheral vascular disease, glomerulonephritis with associated hypertension, right inguinal hernioplasty, and vasculogenic impotence is well grounded. The appeal is granted to this extent only.

The Board has decided the issue of an increased evaluation for post-operative atrial septal defect. The issue of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due solely to service-connected disabilities is remanded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's schizophrenia, classified as paranoid type, warrants a 100 percent rating due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that it was decided on the merits without any presumption or new evidence.

The Board denied reopening and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety neurosis, and traumatic arthritis of the knees. The evidence submitted since the last denial was not considered new and material.

The Board has determined that there is new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection of a psychiatric disorder secondary to service-connected lumbosacral strain, resulting in a grant of service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder is not related to her service, including the deaths of her twins and subsequent bereavement reaction.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability secondary to PTSD and his claim for total unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's case is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing to determine an earlier effective date for his service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The RO denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a bilateral knee disability and a psychiatric disorder based on the lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred during active duty.