Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to outstanding medical records and the need for new VA examinations. The issues include service connection for lumbar strain, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, a psychiatric disorder, right knee patellar enthesopathy, left knee chondromalacia patella, and TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his right shoulder disability and any psychiatric disorder. The claims will be readjudicated based on all evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed mental disorder or muscle twitching that is related to his service, including Gulf War exposure. The evidence did not support a finding of an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C, neurological disorder of the lower extremities, and psychiatric disorder (to include posttraumatic stress disorder and depression) are not related to his military service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to lack of recent medical records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending and will be reconsidered after obtaining updated treatment records.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have an innocently acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, due to disease or injury incurred in service.

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a Board video conference hearing. The issues of service connection remain pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, colitis, and head injury. However, new evidence submitted by the Veteran does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA and SSA records, scheduling a VA psychiatric examination, and readjudicating the claim.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling a live videoconference hearing at the RO in Providence, Rhode Island. The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disability and psychiatric disability are pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia was granted with an effective date of April 20, 2009. The Board found no evidence to support a prior effective date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD. The claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD and bruxism were also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss in the right ear was denied as there is no current diagnosis of a hearing loss disability. The claims for service connection for PTSD, anxiety and depression, and headaches were not addressed due to their interrelated nature.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of his diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders, with particular focus on whether any are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran is not entitled to an effective date earlier than September 9, 2009 for a 100% rating for his acquired psychiatric disability. He was initially granted service connection in 1955 but the decision did not specify the exact diagnosis or grant a compensable rating.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as PTSD, based on credible evidence of a verified stressor and medical opinions linking the Veteran's symptoms to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA psychiatric and Aid and Attendance/Housebound examination to determine the current nature of any diagnosed psychiatric condition and whether the Veteran is housebound due to his PTSD. The SMP claim will be readjudicated based on this new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for an etiology opinion regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disability, specifically whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's psychotic disorder had its onset during service or is otherwise related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis.,Service connection for left leg injury residuals resulting in complex regional pain syndrome is granted. The disability is considered to be secondary to the 2003 in-service left leg injury.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability is denied due to lack of diagnosed condition.