Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for additional examinations. The Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, psychiatric disorders, leg pain, and foot pain are all under review.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and reopened the claims for SAH and SHA. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is found to be related to his military service, while the claims for SAH and SHA are denied as there are no qualifying disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to military service and he is granted service connection for this condition.,Service connection was granted for schizophrenia, but the effective date of March 11, 2014, is determined to be the earliest possible based on a liberalizing law. The Veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, that is related to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected schizoaffective disorder (schizophrenia) was increased to a 100% rating effective September 5, 2017. The Board determined that the earliest date it was factually ascertainable that the disability had increased in severity was September 5, 1990.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a skin disorder. The decision also addressed initial compensable ratings for left and right hamstring muscle strains but did not assign any rating or effective date.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and medical evaluations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient verification of claimed in-service stressors. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder will be reconsidered after verifying these stressors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to a lack of current diagnosis and no credible evidence linking any diagnosed condition to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability. The issue of tinnitus is withdrawn by the Veteran, and the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for specially adapted housing and a special home adaptation grant have been denied as her service-connected disabilities do not meet the legal criteria for these benefits.

The Veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma has rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.,Service connection for sleep apnea is granted as secondary to the service-connected bronchial asthma.

The Board found that the Veteran did not timely file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) with the July 2007 rating decision denying service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD, and thus the decision became final.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of evidence establishing a current disability and/or a link between the claimed conditions and service. The Board found that new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim for PTSD, but did not find any material evidence relating to the left hip disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), chest pain, and left ankle disability. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and clarification of her psychiatric, back, and hip disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, back disability, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, prostate disability, diabetes mellitus, type II, headaches, and organic mental disorder have all been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder with anxious distress, is proximately due to her service-connected back and bilateral leg disabilities. The issues of service connection for neck disorder, headache, increased ratings for back disability, restless leg syndrome, and eczema are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has ordered additional development as the April 2016 VA examiner's opinion is inadequate. The appellant seeks service connection for her husband's death on a secondary basis due to his service-connected schizophrenia.