Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and unspecified mental disorder, were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as there is no evidence linking his current psychiatric conditions to his military service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including left shoulder, arm, elbow, neck, vision, hypertension, skin disorder, headaches (secondary to tinnitus), and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The remand requires further development such as obtaining medical records, scheduling examinations, and making attempts to obtain a nexus between the claimed conditions and service.

The Board previously denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability. The Court has ordered a remand due to the inadequacy of the May 2016 VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's psychiatric disability was aggravated by his service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae or bilateral chondromalacia.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically Generalized Anxiety Disorder, is granted. The Board also found that the Veteran's claim for increased rating for post left thumb laceration disability should be remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to higher ratings for peripheral neuropathy and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and inadequate opinions in previous examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for fatigue and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to additional development being needed. The Veteran was not provided with a VA examination in connection with his claims, and thus, further medical opinions are required.

The Board has determined that the reduction of TBI disability rating from 10 percent to noncompensable effective April 1, 2014 was improper and void ab initio. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for TBI, headaches, hip disability, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to obtain service personnel and treatment records from the Army National Guard, to ensure compliance with VA's notification requirements, and to provide a VA examination to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disorder is related to military sexual trauma in service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for pulmonary embolism has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depressive disorder, a generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of status post right knee arthroscopy has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis from April 4, 2017, has been dismissed.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of a lumbar spine disability due to withdrawal by the appellant's authorized representative. The issues of increased rating for lumbar spine disability and TDIU are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions due to incomplete information and need for further examination. The Veteran's dates of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA must be verified, and additional examinations are needed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for phimosis with balantitis (claimed as lesions of the penis) is granted. The Board finds sufficient evidence to indicate that this condition is related to findings notated during his service and grants service connection. For the vision injury, a new VA examination is required due to conflicting medical records. Service connection for panic attacks is remanded.

The Veteran requested withdrawal of all issues on appeal, leading to the dismissal of these cases.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction and acquired psychiatric disorder are granted as secondary to service-connected conditions. The compensable initial rating for chronic left orchialgia is also granted.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues related to his service-connected right knee disabilities, including back and left knee conditions. The Board has determined that further examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic bronchitis with history of pneumonia, tinea pedis, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition due to incomplete information and need for updated examinations.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and a right knee condition due to the lack of evidence showing a link between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hepatitis C and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran underwent surgeries during service, which may have contributed to his hepatitis C diagnosis. His psychiatric symptoms are believed to be related to a legal hold in Japan.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for schizophrenia, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus need further examination and consideration. The case is being remanded to allow for additional evidence to be added to the file and for a new VA examination.