Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2016

The Board has remanded the claims for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging for a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder, vision loss disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD). The reduction of the evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss from 40% to 20% was also found improper.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is related to a risk factor of receiving blood transfusions during active military service. The claim for psychosis was denied as there was no qualifying wartime service period under which the benefit could be sought. Service connection for PTSD and depression is granted.

The Veteran's digestive disorder, including GERD, is found to have begun during his military service and granted service connection.,The Veteran's loss of teeth are due to periodontal disease and not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and dismissed the claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and there is no evidence linking any diagnosed psychiatric condition to service. The claims for heart condition and hepatitis C are also denied as there is insufficient evidence to support their connection to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus. The claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, is being remanded to the AOJ.

The Board has denied the reopening of a previously denied claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that new and material evidence was not received to support the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been denied as there is no evidence of a direct relationship to his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of this case as he is no longer alive.

The Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic headache disorder is assigned the maximum schedular rating of 50 percent, and her acquired psychiatric disability claim has been denied.,There is no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disability during active duty or ACDUTRA service. The Veteran was provided a speculative diagnosis of organic personality syndrome secondary to head concussion.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for initial consideration of new evidence submitted by the Veteran, and the Veteran is requested to waive further AOJ review.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities are not related to his military service and denies his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed psychiatric disorders were not present in service, were not manifested to a compensably disabling degree within the first year after discharge from service, and are not shown to be etiologically related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claimed bilateral knee disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder were not incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder that is etiologically related to service, and the Board finds no evidence of a stressor event in-service.

The Board has determined that tinnitus was not incurred or aggravated during ACDUTRA, and thus denied the claim for service connection. The psychiatric disorder issue is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder and left eye disorder. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA medical center records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran's PTSD is related to an in-service incident.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to an unforeseeable transportation issue preventing the scheduled videoconference hearing. The case will be rescheduled for a new hearing.