Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2015

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The examiner's opinions were deemed inadequate due to their failure to consider possible onset within one year of service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a psychiatric examination to determine if any of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are related to his active service or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is not etiologically related to his military service. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence weighs against finding in favor of the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to afford the Veteran a requested hearing, and the appeal is now pending for further action.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining missing VA and private treatment records, as well as Social Security Administration disability records. The Veteran will be provided with an opportunity for a VA examination to address his claims.

The Board denied a request for an effective date prior to August 23, 2005 for service connection for schizophrenia. The Veteran's claim was initially denied in December 2003 and reopened in June 2006. The effective date of the grant of service connection is set at the date of receipt of the new claim on August 23, 2005.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, right knee arthritis, and joint disorder are not service-connected as there is no evidence of a nexus to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current psychiatric disability, including PTSD. Therefore, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied.

The Board found no evidence of a service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, alcohol dependence, or insomnia. The Veteran's issues were not related to his military service.

The Veteran's urticaria has been rated as noncompensable (0 percent) since February 1975. The most recent VA examination in December 2013 found the Veteran to have no current diagnosis or obvious signs/symptoms of generalized urticaria, and noted that his condition did not impact daily activities.

The Board has ordered the case back to the RO for further development and readjudication, including an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's mood disorder was caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the cases for service connection for psychiatric disability, lumbosacral spine disability, and cervical spine disability are dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and bipolar disorder, not otherwise specified, had onset during active service. Therefore, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and SSA disability determination records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are not yet decided.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a left wrist disability and skin disability has been withdrawn. The Board has granted service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for a Travel Board hearing scheduled in February 2015. The case will be returned to the AOJ for scheduling another hearing.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the numerical designation for a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss, and that an increased schedular rating is therefore not available. For tinnitus, the maximum schedular evaluation of 10 percent was assigned after the effective date of the June 2003 amendment to Diagnostic Code 6260. The Veteran's claim for service connection for teeth loss due to his service-connected tinnitus was denied as there was no competent evidence establishing a secondary relationship.

The Board is remanding the case to schedule the Veteran for a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge seated at the RO due to his request.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA/VAU electronic medical records. The Veteran's psychiatric disability is also to be evaluated by a VA examiner.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, due to military sexual trauma, and herpes were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a current disability or link between these conditions and service.