Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Veteran's son filed a request to continue the Veteran's appeal for substitution as claimant due to the death of the Veteran, but was denied.,The appellant also submitted a claim for accrued benefits, which is currently pending and requires issuance of an SOC.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for PTSD or an acquired psychiatric disorder to include depression, anxiety, and insomnia. The evidence does not support a diagnosis of PTSD as there is no credible stressor event documented in the record.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, was remanded by the Board of Veterans' Appeals due to issues related to travel and medical examinations. The case is now being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to corroborate a suicide incident and obtain VA treatment records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, remains under review.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder was not incurred or aggravated in service and denied his claim for service connection. The psychiatric disorder issue, including PTSD based on personal assault/military sexual trauma (PA/MST), somatoform disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and depression, is addressed separately.

The Veteran's son filed for substitution as claimant due to the death of his father, but was denied eligibility.,The appellant also submitted a claim for accrued benefits, which is currently pending and will be remanded for issuance of an SOC.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The decision is based on a direct link between the Veteran's military service and his current condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including macules on the tongue, chronic bronchitis, asthma, chronic sinusitis, a heart disability, hypertension, carpal tunnel syndromes, bilateral pes planus, and psychiatric disabilities. The decision found no current disabilities or evidence of in-service incurrence.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of a chronic condition having causal origins in active service. The Veteran's claim was remanded multiple times but ultimately denied.

The Board found no credible evidence of the Veteran's reported stressors during service, and thus denied his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the effective date of a total disability rating for his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability was dismissed as he did not file a timely notice of disagreement with the July 2001 decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and COPD, related to herbicide exposure during service are denied.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder was granted service connection. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether his current acquired psychiatric disorders, including right eye and left eye disorders, spastic dysphonia, and GERD are related to his military service.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia, as the evidence did not show a psychiatric disability due to service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD. The Veteran's symptoms are related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for headaches and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability was not related to his service or a service-connected condition, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder, was incurred during active service and is granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen service connection for undifferentiated type schizophrenia was withdrawn before a final decision could be made. The issue of an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent disabling for jaw disability is remanded for further development.