Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2009

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to preclude him from securing and following some form of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience, warranting a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran is granted an initial disability rating of 100 percent for his service-connected psychiatric disorder, effective June 5, 1997.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia and determined that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Board also found that the Veteran's schizophrenia had its clinical onset during his active duty service, warranting service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a hearing closer to his home. The appeal will be handled by the RO and scheduled for a new hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran engaged in combat during service and his PTSD is consistent with the circumstances, conditions or hardships of such engagement. Therefore, the claim for service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically psychosis.

The Veteran's claim to reopen her service connection for schizophrenia is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VCAA notice and attempting to locate the Veteran. The Veteran will need to provide any statements in support of her alleged PTSD stressor and any other relevant information.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and schizophrenia. The RO previously denied this claim in June 1990 due to a lack of indication of these conditions during or within one year after service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, manifested by difficulty sleeping, was incurred in or caused by his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia and sleep apnea are denied as his discharge from military service under other than honorable conditions serves as a bar to the claimed benefits.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, was denied as there is no credible evidence of a stressor and the Veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy or serve as a POW.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The Veteran's claim was remanded multiple times due to various issues including the need to consider newly received evidence and the possibility of establishing service connection based on diagnoses rendered after the original claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, cervical spine disability, thoracic spine disability, left ankle disability, bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, and gastritis. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a liver disability, residuals of melanoma, and an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and panic disorder) have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service and is granted.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and found that the appellant's actions resulting in the shooting death of another serviceman constituted willful misconduct.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Board hearing at the RO as he requested.

The Veteran's schizophrenia is found to have first manifested during his active duty for training in the Army National Guard, and service connection is granted.