Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and therefore, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is not related to service or a verified in-service stressor.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA medical opinion to determine if any currently diagnosed psychiatric disorders other than posttraumatic stress disorder had onset in service or are related to an event or events in service. The Veteran's statements and specific experiences during military service will be considered.

The Veteran's claimed psychiatric disability and heart disability were not incurred or aggravated by service. The pre-existing conditions are presumed to have existed prior to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to an inadequate VA examination and incomplete reasoning.

The Board denied service connection for CAD, sleep apnea, and COPD as not incurred or aggravated by active service. The Veteran's conditions were found to be not related to herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Veteran's appeal was granted, and he is now receiving a 50 percent disability rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD. He also received separate 10 percent ratings for right and left knee patellofemoral dysfunction. The Board has found that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, including his acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected Meniere's disease residuals are rated at the maximum available rating of 100 percent. The claims for secondary service connection for left hip, left knee, right knee, and psychiatric disorders have been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during the period of this claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for a back disability and whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim of psychiatric disability. The Veteran's claims will be adjudicated again after further development.

The Veteran's appeal is REMANDED to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for further action. The case will be returned to the Board only if additional development or other appropriate action is taken.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a head laceration with loss of consciousness is denied. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and major depressive disorder) are pending as additional evidence may be needed to establish the presence or etiology of these conditions. Service connection for coronary artery disease secondary to PTSD remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to include obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his sleep apnea, psychiatric disorders, and lumbar spine disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed stressors were not verified and thus did not establish service connection for PTSD. The acquired psychiatric disability was also denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his in-service service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to obtain medical records and provide a VA examination for the Veteran's claimed conditions. The case will be remanded for these actions.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition and a psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder, have been denied as there is no evidence showing that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his period of active duty.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the underlying claims can be adjudicated on the merits, and therefore, the case is being remanded to the AOJ for further action.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including verification of an in-service stressor event and examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of any current acquired psychiatric disability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression). The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed to have been incurred during his active duty service. Service connection was not established for the lumbar spine or psychiatric conditions.

The Veteran's asthma has been rated at 30 percent since July 2004 and remains at that level. He is now entitled to a compensable rating for the period of October 19, 2009 to February 13, 2013.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been REMANDED.