Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2007

The veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disability, including schizophrenia, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and medical examination.

The Board has determined that the evidence submitted since the April 1986 rating decision is not new and material, and therefore the veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include schizophrenia, remains denied.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, due to lack of evidence supporting the diagnosis and no link between current symptoms and in-service stressors.

The Board has remanded the case for further evidentiary development, including obtaining service medical and personnel records, as well as authorization for release of additional medical records.

The Board is remanding the case to gather more information about the appellant's condition prior to age 18, as well as her current disabilities and their impact on her ability to support herself.

The Board has determined that the appellant's acquired mental disorder, including schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The pre-existing condition did not increase in severity during military service and is not shown to have become compensably disabling within a year of separation from active duty.

The veteran's request for a waiver of recovery of an overpayment was denied because he did not file the request within the required 180-day period, despite his claim that his psychiatric condition prevented him from understanding the time limit.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, will be addressed at the hearing.

The Board found no in-service injury or disease of the knees, and denied service connection for bilateral knee disorders. The veteran's right shoulder disorder is related to service, but there was insufficient evidence to establish a current disability or link between his current psychiatric condition and service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and providing Dingess notice.

The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for schizophrenia, the highest schedular rating available. The veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded due to the need for additional service records and evidence, including those from Ft. Benning, Georgia in 1989.

The Board has determined that the veteran requires regular personal care assistance from another person due to his service-connected disabilities, and therefore grants special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance. The issue of service connection for a low back disability is dismissed as the veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for schizophrenia, finding that the veteran's symptoms began within one year of his discharge from active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to conflicting medical evidence regarding whether the veteran has PTSD and verification of alleged stressors during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is service-connected, as it is at least as likely as not that his current condition had its onset in service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and PTSD, as well as his attempts to reopen a claim for lupus. The increased rating claims were also denied.

The Board found that the appellant did not have a mental disorder as a result of his military service and thus denied both his service connection claim for schizophrenia, paranoid type and his claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits based on qualifying wartime military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain missing VA and private treatment records, as well as authorization forms for the veteran's requested providers. The claims will be readjudicated after these actions are completed.

The veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, cervical spine disability, and psychiatric disability (learning disability) have been denied. The right knee disability is not service connected.