Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2016

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, mood disorder, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder is granted. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of service connection based on inservice sexual assault.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's PTSD with schizophrenia and MDD are related to her military service, including a personal assault. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is related to her in-service personal assault. The VA examiner will also assess whether any diagnosed personality disorder is superimposed upon a pre-existing condition.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, currently diagnosed as bipolar disorder, is etiologically related to his active service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a stomach disability and a disability manifested by chest pain are addressed in the REMAND section.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private medical records, scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of his sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder, and readjudicating the claims.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the previously denied claims for service connection for a skin disorder and an acquired psychiatric disability. The Veteran's claim is now pending for further review.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer has been reopened and granted due to his exposure to herbicides during service.,Service connection is also granted for kidney cancer, skin cancer, COPD, urinary incontinence as secondary to prostate cancer, and a psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA and SSA records, conducting examinations, and reviewing the medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for a new hearing before a VLJ due to the Veteran's request for postponement. The claims of service connection for schizophrenia and PTSD are still pending.

The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, arthritis of the right hand, and a skin disorder. The Board finds that additional development is needed to address these claims.,The Veteran seeks service connection for arthritis of the right hand. The AOJ should attempt to obtain any outstanding treatment records from VA or private facilities that may be pertinent to his claim.,The Veteran contends that he has a skin disorder due to herbicide exposure in Korea and/or Vietnam. The AOJ must verify this exposure and request any relevant SSA records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his service, including an in-service B-52 aircraft fire incident. The claim for service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to verify a military stressor and conduct a VA PTSD examination. The claim will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for increased rating and service connection was granted, with a separate rating of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity. The claims for migraines, respiratory condition, psychiatric disorder, cervical spine disability, and right shoulder condition are pending further development.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for paranoid type schizophrenia has been withdrawn. The issue of entitlement to a higher initial evaluation for paranoid type schizophrenia prior to April 16, 2014, is dismissed as there is no longer a case or controversy.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was not reopened and remains denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder (breathing problems) and an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression, anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD) were reopened and granted as secondary to his service-connected irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of in-service stressors and obtaining updated VA treatment records. The Veteran's claim will be deferred until additional evidence is obtained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus had their onset in service, and thus granted service connection for these conditions. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded as it was not fully addressed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records, providing examinations to assess his acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, and bronchial asthma, and issuing a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with DSM-IV or DSM-V, and thus service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for residuals of a nasal septoplasty and granted service connection for arthritis of both knees, as well as weight gain. The acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and PTSD) is not considered in this decision.