Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2000

The veteran's low back disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected left knee disorder. The other claims are pending and will require further development.

The Board denied the veteran's appeals to restore service connection for bilateral pes planus and a neuropsychiatric disorder, finding that the original decisions were not clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hemorrhoids and a psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence of current disabilities related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability due to new and material evidence presented, including a private psychological evaluation indicating that the veteran developed dysthymic disorder during his military service. The claim is well-grounded as there is medical evidence of a nexus between the current diagnosis and active service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the appellant's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability. The evidence submitted is cumulative and redundant of previous records.

The Board has determined that the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, is not well grounded. There is no competent evidence showing disability resulting from an acquired psychiatric disorder during service or of a psychosis within the presumptive period after service.

The Board denied reopening of the veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder, but both remain denied as there is no evidence of service connection.

The Board denied a total (100 percent) schedular rating for schizophrenia and a total rating due to unemployability by reason of service-connected disability prior to November 7, 1996.

The Board found no evidence that the veteran's current psychiatric disorder is related to his military service, and thus denied the claim.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD. The veteran's paranoid schizophrenia is linked to incidents of service, raising a reasonable possibility that it is related to an incident of service.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 5, 1995, for an award of service connection for psychiatric disability with headaches, dysarthria, and ataxia involving the left arm, side and leg.

The VA denied the claims for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia and an increased rating for depressive neurosis due to the appellant's failure to report for a scheduled VA examination without good cause.

The Board found that the veteran's preexisting psychotic disorder did not worsen during service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, muscle tension headaches, and a tumor of the jaw. The RO also denied his claims for new and material evidence regarding skin disorders due to Agent Orange exposure and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his claim for an effective date prior to October 5, 1990, for a 100 percent evaluation for paranoid schizophrenia. The evidence submitted was not considered new and material.

The veteran's neuropsychiatric disability is rated at 100 percent, the highest possible rating. The right renal calculus with microhematuria is rated at noncompensable (0 percent).

The Board found that the appellant did not establish veteran status for purposes of his claims of service connection for residuals of a head injury and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board found that the veteran did not have a blood transfusion during service and concluded that his liver disorder, status post liver transplant, is not related to any inservice blood transfusions. Therefore, he does not have legal entitlement to service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder, which includes conversion disorder and somatization disorder with strong depressive features, is being remanded due to the receipt of additional evidence.