Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2017

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a deficiency in the reasoning provided by the VA examiner regarding service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's representative withdrew the appeals for the issues of entitlement to a compensable rating for post-operative chronic left scrotal abscess, service connection for a psychiatric disorder other than major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder, and service connection for cocaine dependence, to include as secondary to a psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating prior to April 30, 2013, and to a disability rating greater than 10 percent from April 30, 2013, on an extraschedular basis for bilateral hearing loss. The other issues were not addressed due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hypertension and psychiatric disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous directives and an addendum opinion is required. Additional VA treatment records are also needed.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, a spine disability, and a psychiatric disability. The rating for hyperparathyroidism was not assigned as the Veteran's condition had been cured.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and finds that his depressive disorder is not related to service. Therefore, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal regarding the evaluation of her acquired psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder without psychotic features.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is denied as there is no current diagnosis of such a condition.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for ADHD during the March 2017 Board hearing. The case is being remanded to obtain VA treatment records and conduct a psychiatric examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for a video-conference hearing, and no other specific issues have been resolved.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicides during his service in Korea or Vietnam, and thus could not establish presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted beginning August 3, 2009, due to his service-connected disabilities making him unable to work in any substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if he meets the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and whether his current adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood was onset during active service or related to it.

The Veteran's bilateral ankle disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, was not caused or aggravated by any aspect of service and did not manifest during service or within one year of separation.,The presumption of soundness is rebutted and the Veteran's left hip disability pre-existed his November 2002 active duty service.,The Veteran's right knee disability, diagnosed as chondromalacia patella degenerative changes, was not caused or aggravated by any aspect of service and did not manifest during service or within one year of separation from service.,There is no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran has an acquired psychiatric disorder that had its onset in service, manifested within one year of separation from service, or is otherwise etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss, tinnitus, psychiatric disorder, hypertension, knee joint pains, myalgia, weight loss, and fatigue have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of a current disability or continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing. The issue of entitlement to an earlier effective date of service connection for chronic paranoid schizophrenia due to clear and unmistakable error remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new examination to assess the current manifestations of PTSD and any separate psychiatric disorder. The AOJ will also determine if TDIU on an extraschedular basis can be granted.