Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2006

The veteran's service-connected paranoid schizophrenia is shown to have been productive of a disability picture that more nearly approximates severe social and industrial inadaptability as earlier as August 1, 1995. The veteran was not shown to have total social and industrial impairment at any time during the course of the appeal.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current disability associated with an acquired psychiatric disorder incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for schizophrenia, PTSD, and a fracture of the right fifth metacarpal were denied due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Board found no evidence of a current psychiatric disability, head injury, or hearing loss related to military service. The veteran's claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder related to his service and therefore denied both claims of service connection for PTSD and a TDIU.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine whether new and material evidence was submitted.

The Board has granted a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD, effective from the date of claim (August 13, 2002), and denied service connection for low back disability and hypertension.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability due to new and material evidence. The current diagnoses of PTSD, depression, and bipolar disorder are considered new and relate to an unestablished fact necessary to establish service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus. The claim is granted.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and COPD, but granted service connection for headaches and a psychiatric disability.

The veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for his service-connected bilateral CSR was denied. The Board found that the veteran's vision loss is not related to his service-connected CSR and thus does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating. Service connection for a psychiatric disorder and headaches, claimed as secondary to his service-connected CSR, was also denied due to lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service or his service-connected eye disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, and denied his requests for increased ratings for bilateral tinea pedis and tinea unguium, right hallux valgus with hammertoe, and left hallux valgus, status post-surgery.

The Board found that the veteran's heart disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected bilateral varicose veins and/or psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the appellant's claims of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disability and for residuals of a gunshot wound, finding no evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's failure to respond to requests for private medical records within one year, resulting in abandonment of the claim.

The Board finds that the veteran's PTSD is related to a verified stressor from service, and thus grants service connection for PTSD. The acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD is not shown to be related to service.

The Board found that the veteran's schizophrenia cannot be dissociated from service, warranting a grant of service connection. However, there is no evidence of diabetes mellitus in service or within one year post-service, and thus it was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his schizophrenia service connection, finding no new and material evidence. The claim remains denied.

The Board has determined that a VA psychiatric examination and medical nexus opinion is necessary to determine the identity and etiology of any psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, that may be present. The veteran's claim for service connection will be readjudicated after this additional development.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's current psychiatric disability, which may be related to service or pre-existing conditions. The case will be remanded for this purpose.