Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The Veteran's claims of service connection for a psychiatric disorder and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine are pending.

The Veteran's hospitalizations and surgeries were not related to his service-connected bilateral pes planus, thus he is not entitled to a temporary total evaluation based on surgical or other treatment necessitating hospitalization.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Headache Disorder is related to service, but his Residuals of a Head Injury and Acquired Psychiatric Disability (to include PTSD or Bipolar Disorder) are not related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate medical opinions and failure to address specific issues in the claims. The Veteran's appeal is now pending again with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Board finds that the Veteran's personality disorder is a congenital disease and does not meet the criteria for service connection as it was not aggravated by service or subject to superimposed disease or injury in service. The preponderance of evidence is against finding any other psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is otherwise etiologically related to a disease, injury, or event in service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, including determining whether a specific in-service stressor exists and corroborating it.

The Board denied the appellant's claim of eligibility for payment of attorney's fees from past-due benefits due to the absence of a cash payment resulting from the award of service connection.

The Veteran's accrued benefits were not sufficient to cover the burial expenses due to his death, as he did not have a surviving spouse, child, or parent. The appellant is therefore denied additional accrued benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is related to his service. The TBI issue will also be addressed.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining complete paper copies of any Social Security Administration (SSA) disability determination and associated medical records.

The Board has determined that an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection and award of compensation for schizophrenia, chronic paranoid type is denied as all prior claims were subject to final denials.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD, renal problems, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral vascular disease has been granted. The decision also includes the reopening of his previously denied claim for service connection for a leg and back disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and a lung disability (to include COPD and emphysema) were denied as there is no evidence of in-service disease or injury, and the current diagnoses are not shown to be related to military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and need for additional development regarding the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors, particularly his account of a friend being killed during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back and psychiatric disabilities are not related to service, thus denying his claims for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hand disorder and psychiatric disorder (depression) were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (bipolar disorder) preexisted service or is otherwise etiologically related to his active service. The claim will be readjudicated after obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include schizophrenia, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not shown to be etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the Board finds that the Veteran did not have any in-service disease or injury that resulted in his current conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and schizophrenia, are related to his in-service motor vehicle accident. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is granted.