Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder. The Board also found that the evidence does not establish service connection due to lack of direct or presumptive service connection.

The veteran claims service connection for a psychiatric disorder, likely post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), related to an assault in service. The Board has ordered additional development including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the veteran for a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of a psychiatric disorder and granted it. The TDIU issue is deferred pending further adjudication.

The veteran's duodenal ulcer with GERD is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board has determined that a higher evaluation of 30 percent is warranted.,The issues of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, entitlement to service connection for hearing loss, and entitlement to service connection for tinnitus are all marked as 'unknown'.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, and ADD. The decision is mixed as some of the evidence relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate these claims.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The veteran's claims were not supported by medical evidence linking his current conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence on file, and a VA examination is needed to determine if the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder may be linked to his service.

The veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for service connection of schizophrenia, which has already been granted with a specific effective date of October 8, 1992. The case must be remanded to the AOJ for further development regarding claims of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in prior VA adjudications.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that there was no evidence linking any cardiovascular disability to service.

The veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for schizophrenia was denied in November 1999. The Board is remanding the case to provide new VCAA notice and obtain additional medical records.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen her service connection for paranoid schizophrenia, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board has granted service connection for major depression, finding that the veteran first had symptoms of his current psychiatric disorder in service and linking it to service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a digestive system disorder, including GERD and PUD, has been reopened. However, the evidence does not establish that his current psychiatric disorder is related to service.,Service connection cannot be established for diabetes mellitus as there was no in-service exposure to Agent Orange. The low back condition and bilateral knee condition have also not been shown to be related to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension.,Service connection was denied for migraine headaches, a psychiatric disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease, trigger thumb, hearing loss, loss of eyesight, and stuttering as these conditions were not shown during or after service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, finding new and material evidence. The case is now remanded to determine if service connection should be granted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for any mental condition (claimed as bipolar disorder).

The veteran had a service-connected disability (schizophrenia) and was receiving compensation benefits. After the veteran's death, his surviving spouse is entitled to retroactive payments based on his restored 100% rating for schizophrenia.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's schizophrenia, finding that his condition did not warrant a higher evaluation than the current 50 percent.

The veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for PTSD or an acquired psychiatric disability, other than PTSD. The Board finds that there is no current diagnosis of PTSD and the earliest documented psychiatric complaints are from 1981, which occurred after her discharge from active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for a psychiatric disability, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.