Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2013

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder disability, peripheral neuropathy, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination of the Veteran's low back disability and an opinion regarding her employability due to service-connected disabilities. The issues on appeal are whether she is entitled to a rating in excess of 20 percent for her low back injury and whether she is unemployable due to her service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, as well as his acquired psychiatric disability (Major Depressive Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder and also denied his request for an increased rating for his bilateral foot disability. The claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence, and he was not granted a higher rating for his foot condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosed psychiatric disorder, cholesteatoma left mastoid, skin condition (chloracne), headaches, heart condition, sinus condition, right hand condition, or left foot condition that manifested during or was caused by his military service. The claim for the residuals of a right foot fracture has also been denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed respiratory failure and acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and suicide attempts) are not related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining records of a stress management group and VA treatment records. The Veteran will be provided with an additional VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and major depression, originated during or are otherwise etiologically related to his period of active duty training (ACDUTRA) from September 1978 to March 1979. As such, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected schizophrenia.

The Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral hand/arm disability (claimed as due to cold injury) are found to be related to service. The acquired psychiatric disability (to include PTSD) is also found to be related to service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability and IBS are found to be related to service, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and addressing the timeliness of the NODs and new and material evidence issues.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including dysthymia and major depressive disorder, are found to be proximately due to service-connected PTSD. The claim for an earlier effective date of award for service connection for PTSD is granted, with the initial rating for PTSD being set at 70 percent as of June 27, 2011. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also granted.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including social phobia, anxiety disorder, agoraphobia with panic disorder, and depression, is found to be secondary to his service-connected residuals of stroke. His diabetes mellitus type II has been rated at 20 percent since November 23, 2004, and increased to 40 percent for the right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy on April 25, 2013. The left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was also increased to 40 percent effective from that date.

The Board determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and concluded that his acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as Schizophrenia, Paranoid (CPT), is related to service. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD was remanded.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD, was granted. The appeal is based on the direct relationship between the current diagnoses and military service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than September 23, 2008, for the grant of service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia was denied as there is no legal entitlement to such a benefit.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Veteran's claimed disabilities were not related to service and the Board denied all claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office for further development, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing.