Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2004

The Board denied reopening of the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the December 1974 decision denying an increased evaluation for schizophrenia and a total rating based on individual unemployability was clearly and unmistakably erroneous due to misapplication of regulations.

The Board has determined that the appellant's schizophrenia warrants a rating of 70 percent, and his claim for TDIU is granted.

The Board found that the veteran's schizophrenia was not manifested during active service and could not be presumed to have been incurred due to exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board denied service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than post-traumatic stress disorder, finding no evidence of such conditions in service or until many years thereafter. The Board also found that the veteran does not have residuals of a head injury.,Service connection was not granted for post-traumatic stress disorder due to lack of credible supporting evidence for claimed in-service stressors and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than post-traumatic stress disorder as there is no competent medical evidence linking such conditions to service.

The Board and the RO have denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include schizophrenia, and a right eye disorder. The veteran has submitted new evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claims for these conditions. As such, the claims are reopened.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for a seizure disorder and a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder. The case is now remanded for further action.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability due to new and material evidence. However, it was not established that the veteran had a psychiatric disorder during service or related to any incident of service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for secondary service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left eye disability, and left ear hearing loss as they are not related to his military service or his service-connected paresthesia of the left side of the tongue with left facial area hypesthesia.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia, but denied any increase in the initial rating assigned. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and ensure compliance with VA notification requirements.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current disabilities to service, including his claimed lumbosacral strain, irritable bowel syndrome, dorsal spine disorder, and psychiatric disorder. The claim for PTSD was also denied due to lack of verified stressor.

The Board has determined that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is caused by his service-connected low back disability, and thus grants service connection on a secondary basis.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, finding that there was no competent medical evidence to support these claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to comply with VCAA notification requirements. The veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder remains pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and compensation benefits for PTSD, finding that there was no adequate in-service stressor to support a diagnosis of PTSD. The RO awarded compensation for tinnitus under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 but did not grant an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's current schizophrenia began during his active duty and is therefore incurred in service, granting service connection for schizophrenia.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claim of service connection for schizophrenia, concluding that his condition existed prior to enlistment and did not worsen during service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for tardive dyskinesia and increased ratings for his paranoid schizophrenia were denied. The veteran was not granted a higher rating for his schizophrenia prior to September 4, 2001, or after that date.

The veteran's psychiatric signs and symptoms, including fatigue, dizziness, and heart pounding, are considered to be due to an undiagnosed illness during service. The veteran's chronic fatigue is also found to be related to an undiagnosed illness.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further action, including scheduling a hearing and providing additional notification as required by the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA).