Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2011

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected conditions prevented him from securing and maintaining gainful employment.

The Veteran does not have a diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, that is service-connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and for a TDIU rating due to lack of evidence supporting his claimed stressors and inability to establish service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied due to lack of a diagnosis, while his claim for cold weather residuals was granted based on the examiner's findings.,Service connection is established for frostbite residuals of the hands and feet, but not for PTSD.

The Veteran's schizophrenia is causally or etiologically related to service, and the Board finds that service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include schizophrenia) is warranted.

The Veteran's psychiatric, cognitive, respiratory, and joint symptoms are manifestations of his diagnosed service-connected bipolar disorder and fibromyalgia and are not otherwise etiologically related to service or to an unidentified illness or chronic unidentified multisystem disease.

The Board denied service connection for schizophrenia and PTSD, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claim. The acquired psychiatric disorders were not shown to have developed as a result of an established event or injury during active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA psychiatric examination and providing notification to the Veteran about what evidence is needed to substantiate his claim. The appeal will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, paranoid-type schizophrenia, and active psychosis. However, no new evidence has been provided to establish a service-related stressor for PTSD or to link any of these conditions to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations to determine the etiology of his lung cancer and psychiatric disorders.

The Board has determined that the effective dates for service connection of schizophrenia and epigastric hernia should be set to the date of receipt of the claims, which is February 1, 2009.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's current PTSD or other psychiatric disorder is related to his service, including in-service stressors. The case is REMANDED for a VA examination and review of records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing SSA records and VA treatment records, as well as an addendum opinion from the April 2008 psychiatric examiner.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete information and potential need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's schizophrenia is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board found that a higher rating was not warranted based on his symptoms.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the 1991 rating decision that denied service connection for schizophrenia, which was claimed as a nervous condition. The decision concluded that the Veteran's psychosis likely pre-existed his active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing schizophrenia was aggravated by his final period of active service and granted service connection for schizophrenia. The effective date for the grant of service connection for left ear hearing loss is set at August 14, 1996.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was not incurred or aggravated due to service and the evidence does not support a presumption of service connection.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease and peptic ulcer disease, as well as a psychiatric disorder other than posttraumatic stress disorder, are being remanded due to insufficient evidence. Further development is needed including VA examinations.