Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his in-service stressor while deployed in Bosnia, and thus service connection for this condition is granted. The Board also found sufficient evidence to support a diagnosis of sinusitis, leading to its grant of service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a seizure disorder, restless leg syndrome, and mental disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his exposure to contaminants in the water at Camp Lejeune during service.

The Veteran's July 1969 discharge is dishonorable for VA purposes and serves as a bar to the payment of VA compensation benefits for disability resulting from his second period of service. Service connection for PTSD, alcohol and substance use disorders, and prostate cancer are not granted due to the statutory character of discharge bar.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), hiatal hernia (GERD), blood clots, night sweats, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension are all service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information provided by the Veteran for a JSRRC request regarding his claimed stressor event. The Veteran must provide more specific details about the suicide of a fellow soldier in service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric symptoms are not related to his active military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including paranoid schizophrenia, was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left leg injury, residuals of a left hip disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and depression) were denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to corroborate his in-service stressors and obtain an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his psychiatric disabilities.

The Board is remanding the case to determine if the Veteran's second period of service began in February 1990 or February 1991, and whether his acquired psychiatric condition was aggravated by that service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connection has been established due to exposure to noise during service and continuity of symptoms since then.,The Veteran's stomach disorder is granted as service connection has been reopened with evidence showing current gastrointestinal symptoms.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if his acquired psychiatric disorder, left shoulder injury, and left arm injury are related to service. The broken ribs claim will be addressed as a direct service connection case.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder secondary to his bilateral pes planus was withdrawn. The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus, which is currently rated as 30 percent disabling.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain relevant medical records and for further examination regarding his left foot burn scar, hypertension, and psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disorder, neuropathy of left lower extremity, and neuropathy of right lower extremity. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a finding that these conditions are related to military service.,Regarding the acquired psychiatric condition claim (including PTSD and dysthymia), the Veteran's current mental health records do not show any diagnosis or treatment for such conditions, and the VA examiner could not provide an opinion without speculation.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II has been withdrawn.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition is denied as the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of such disability.,Service connection for right foot condition is denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to military service.,The claim for increased rating for pterygium remains pending and requires further examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and opinion regarding his claimed psychiatric disorder and skin cancer.

The Veteran's service-connected asthma has not required at least monthly visits to a physician for required care, resulting in no episodes of respiratory failure. The Veteran is currently rated at 30 percent for his asthma and the Board finds that this rating is appropriate given his FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC results.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for lymphoma cancer during a hearing before the Board. The remaining issue, pertaining to an acquired psychiatric disability including PTSD, is addressed in the REMAND portion.