Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2002

The Board has granted an effective date of January 17, 2002 for the total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU).

The Board found that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, as the additional medical records do not provide a causal link between the veteran's current mental illness and his military service.

The Board found that the veteran does not currently have an acquired psychiatric disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and denied service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability and residuals of pneumonia. Service connection is granted.

The Board denied reopening of the veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence submitted was not considered new and material.

The Board finds that the veteran's current acquired psychiatric disability, including depression, was not incurred in or aggravated by her active duty service.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to November 12, 1996, for a 100 percent disability evaluation for schizophrenic reaction with anxiety is denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, finding that there was no additional disability resulting from the experimental radiation treatment provided by VA.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for schizophrenia, which is presumed to have existed prior to entry into service and was aggravated by active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's motion to reopen his claim for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence, despite additional evidence submitted later.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claims of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a back disorder. The veteran's claim for these benefits remains denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for clear and unmistakable error in a prior rating decision and for an earlier effective date for permanency of his total disability rating. The March 6, 1995 rating decision did not assign 'permanency' status to the total disability rating granted for his service-connected psychiatric disorder. The Board found that this was consistent with VA laws and regulations at the time.

The veteran's schizophrenia has been rated at 50 percent since October 1990, and the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board found new evidence presented since the previous denial, but denied service connection for PTSD as it was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed chronic acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and neurasthenia, was not incurred or aggravated in service. The Board also found that his claimed chronic fatigue syndrome did not manifest during active service and is unrelated to any incident of service origin.

The Board found that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disability was not incurred in or aggravated during active service, and did not manifest itself to a compensable degree within one year after separation from service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran is competent to manage his own affairs without limitation, based on recent improvements in his condition and evidence showing he can save money and pay bills.

The veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 3, 1988 for the grant of service connection for a psychiatric disorder was denied as there is no evidence showing that he filed his original claim prior to this date.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for Lyme disease, headaches, Bell's palsy, a psychiatric disability, and arthritis as secondary to Lyme disease due to lack of confirmation of Lyme disease in service and no association with any incident therein. As there was no service-connected condition to which these disabilities could be attributed, the Board denied all claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disorder, and heart disease. The decision also found that there is no evidence to support benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for the claimed disabilities.