Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that the reduction of the veteran's VA compensation benefits for his period of incarceration from May 6, 2002, to September 5, 2002, was proper.

The Board found that the veteran does not have PTSD and concluded that his psychiatric disability is not related to service. The claim for tinnitus was also denied.

The veteran requested to withdraw their appeal, and as a result, the case has been dismissed.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board determined that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the rating decision establishing an effective date of April 14, 1960 for a total 100 percent disability rating for schizophrenia. The appellant's claim for CUE was denied.

The Board found that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is not linked to his service or any service-connected disability, and thus denied service connection for this condition. The rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and vertigo was also denied.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a psychiatric disorder due to disease or injury incurred in service, and there is no evidence of any current condition being related to service. The claim was denied.

The veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was initially manifested during service and is attributable to service. The Board finds that the evidence supports that GERD is attributable to service.

The Board found that the veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal regarding his claim to reopen service connection for schizophrenia, and thus denied the appeal.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current schizophrenia, diagnosed as an acquired psychiatric disorder, was incurred in service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has directed the RO to issue a statement of the case (SOC) regarding whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The veteran is advised that he must respond to the SOC if he wishes to continue his appeal.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied across multiple issues, including his psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, right knee disorder, left knee arthritis, lumbar spine condition, cervical spine condition, lung disease (asbestosis), and hypertension. The Board found that new evidence did not reopen his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder but denied all other claims.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and schizophrenia, finding that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and his reported stressors were not corroborated. The claim for a psychiatric disability other than PTSD was remanded.

The Board is remanding the case for further development and readjudication due to a lack of Social Security Administration records relevant to the veteran's claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral sties, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as chronic adjustment disorder), and a skin condition due to palmar/plantar pustular psoriasis and onychomycosis. The veteran's service records do not show any indication of sties during military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder was not incurred in active duty and did not become aggravated beyond a normal progress of the disorder during service.

The veteran's compensation benefits were properly reduced to the 10 percent rate, effective April 13, 2003, based upon his incarceration.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 28, 2003 for his TDIU due to service-connected disability. The RO granted a 70% rating for paranoid schizophrenia and TDIU with an effective date of February 28, 2003.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of gastritis and a psychiatric disorder are being remanded to the RO for additional development, including determining whether separate ratings should have been assigned in January 1969.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's psychiatric disorder is not related to his service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim.