Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is not well-grounded because there is no competent medical evidence linking his current psychiatric condition to his time in service.

The Board denied the veteran's request to restore his schizophrenia disability rating from 10% to 50%, finding that his symptoms were essentially controlled by medication and did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board finds that the veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder related to service or a service-connected disability, and thus denies his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is being remanded due to the need to verify alleged combat-related stressors and determine if a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder existed during his latter period of service.

The Board finds that the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is well-grounded. The veteran's residuals of compression fractures of L1 and L2 are rated at 50 percent, reflecting severe limitation of motion with demonstrable deformity.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for secondary service connection and service connection due to lack of well-grounded evidence.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material, thus denying the reopening of the veteran's claim for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia.