Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2006

The veteran's service-connected schizophrenia is rated at 100% and he was granted a temporary total rating due to hospitalization for his schizophrenia.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has decided to remand the case for additional development and review, including verification of the veteran's claimed stressors and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for schizophrenia and PTSD, as there is no evidence of a current disability within one year post-service discharge. The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's psychiatric disability was at least as likely as not initially manifested during active duty.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service records and requests for additional information from the veteran.

The Board has determined that the veteran's psychiatric disorder did not have its onset in service and is not related to his military service. As a result, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for schizophrenia, but the hypertension issue remains unresolved. The decision on whether new and material evidence was presented to reopen the schizophrenia claim is mixed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for low back, left knee, psychiatric disabilities, and prostate cancer residuals as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as his combined rating is only 60 percent, and he has been employed full-time for almost three years.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right eye disability and psychiatric disability, finding no current disabilities. The claim to reopen a spinal disorder with tuberculosis was also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD. The issue of whether service connection should be granted is now before the RO.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current diagnosis of schizophrenia, paranoid type, is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, residuals of a left hip fracture, or low back disability. The claim for lung cancer was denied as it did not manifest within one year after service and there is insufficient evidence linking it to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's mental disorder was present during service and not pre-existing, thus granting service connection.

The Board has granted an apportionment of $300 monthly for the veteran's dependent son, as it is reasonable and does not cause undue hardship on the veteran.

The Board is remanding the case to allow for additional development and consideration of whether the apportionment of VA compensation benefits granted on behalf of the veteran's children, in the custody of the Franklin County Department of Social Services (DSS), was proper.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete records and need for medical opinions regarding service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that his current condition is not related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected schizophrenia, finding that the condition primarily manifested by persistent and severe anxiety and depression, resulting in severe social and industrial impairment.

The Board found that the veteran's sinusitis, hemorrhoids, essential hypertension and pulmonary hypertension were not incurred in or aggravated by service.,The Board also denied the claim for an earlier effective date for VA pension benefits.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and Tourette's syndrome, as well as his claim for blindness secondary to these conditions. The decision also noted that new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate either claim.