Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. The conditions are found to be attributable to service.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left foot amputation and service connection for end-stage renal disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and acquired psychiatric disorder (depression). The decision found that the Veteran's refusal to receive treatment was a significant factor in his condition.

The Board has remanded three issues: service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD (including as secondary to the service-connected lumbar strain), service connection for hypertension, and service connection for loss of feeling and/or pain in the right leg (including as secondary to the service-connected lumbar strain).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder is not reopened due to lack of material evidence. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety and depression, secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss is granted. Service connection for hypertension is denied. The effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is set at March 30, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating for various conditions, including low back disorder, bilateral foot disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), and bilateral hearing loss. Additional evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service or events therein.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service personnel records and treatment records, which need to be obtained and reviewed. The Veteran's anxiety disorder is being evaluated for its onset during service or relation to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, bilateral knee disability, and acquired psychiatric disability due to insufficient evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for a left knee disorder, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been granted. The claim for a left knee disorder is reopened due to new evidence received since the previous denial in March 2010. Service connection has also been established for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder on a secondary basis as it is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to a psychiatric condition. The Veteran's claim will be reviewed again with new evidence and a more comprehensive examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral shin splints, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain due to new evidence and need for further examination. The TDIU and DEA benefits claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other claims.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. However, additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's current mental health conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD and cervical spine disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted TDIU based on the benefit of the doubt.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorders, specifically PTSD and paranoid type schizophrenia. The VA is instructed to obtain any pertinent records and provide the Veteran with a new examination to determine if his conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that his current diagnosis of adjustment disorder with depressed mood and PTSD is related to his military service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, Hepatitis C, and Liver Cancer were all found to be related to service. Service connection was granted for the acquired psychiatric disorder but denied for both Hepatitis C and Liver Cancer.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, depression, anxiety, and mood disorder, is also denied due to lack of credible supporting evidence corroborating the claimed in-service stressors.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection claims for various disabilities, as well as a TDIU claim and an earlier effective date claim for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease. The appellant is required to provide updated VA treatment records and identify any outstanding private treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder, as there was no evidence of a disease or injury incurred in the line of duty during active duty. The claim for nonservice connected pension was also denied because the appellant's service did not qualify as qualifying service due to lack of disability from a disease or injury incurred in the line of duty.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral degenerative joint disease, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, respiratory disability and acquired psychiatric disability (specifically depressive disorder). The decision found that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his active service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an unverified event from service, and requests additional information from the Veteran.