Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2016

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including paranoid schizophrenia and depression, not otherwise specified. The appeal was remanded multiple times due to incomplete records and lack of response from various medical facilities.

The Veteran's kidney condition with chronic renal insufficiency and hypertension was granted service connection effective March 18, 2003. The Veteran is now eligible for DEA under Chapter 35 of the U.S.C.A. due to this grant.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of records and need for additional requests under 3.159(c)(2). The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left knee disability, low back disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (schizophrenia) in January 1985 and May 1997. The current appeal seeks to reopen these previously denied claims.

The Board has determined that a new TBI examination is necessary to clarify whether the Veteran has residuals of his inservice head trauma and, if so, what such residuals are. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and a low back disorder. The Veteran's current psychiatric disability is related to his active service, while his current low back disorder is likely due to the normal process of aging and his reported injury in service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus has been granted with a 10% evaluation, and he is also entitled to separate evaluations of 10% each for his inguinal hernia and the scar from his inguinal hernia surgery. The Veteran's service connection claim for pseudofolliculitis barbae (scarring) has been granted with a 30% evaluation based on disfigurement of the face and head.

The Board has granted an effective date of September 29, 2008 for the grant of service connection for right wrist ulnar dysfunction and a 30 percent rating for tinea versicolor. The Veteran's original claims were received on these dates.

The Veteran's service connection for prostate cancer residuals was granted, with a rating of 60 percent effective June 17, 2013. The claimant reported symptoms warranting this higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability was granted in an October 2012 rating decision. The appeal is dismissed as the benefit sought has been granted.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain service treatment records and private treatment records, including those from the Essex County Correctional Facility. The case will be remanded for these actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cervical spine, gastrointestinal, and acquired psychiatric disorders are related to service due to aggravation of pre-existing conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, specifically depression, are proximately due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or coronary artery disease and have been aggravated by these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and need for further development of evidence.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not currently have a psychiatric disability and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, finding that there is no evidence of a relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability, acquired psychiatric disability (to include PTSD), and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, major depressive disorder, is found to be related to his service-connected right knee and right leg disabilities. His right knee disability is granted an initial rating of 20 percent, but no higher, while his right leg disability is also granted a 20 percent rating.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea. The remaining issues of service connection for psychiatric disorder, heart disorder, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to service-connected sleep apnea are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder NOS), left gluteus shell fragment wound, and scar formation in left gluteus have been denied as there is no evidence of a service connection relationship to these conditions.