Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2018

The Board has reopened the previously denied claims for asthma, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus and sleep apnea. The claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied as there is no evidence linking current diagnoses to in-service events or occurrences.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma. The cases of lumbar spine disorder, left knee disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and Depression) are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion to determine if a psychiatric disorder is present and related to service.

The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental disability that reasonably may be encompassed by the Veteran's description, including residuals of a head trauma and/or TBI. The case is remanded for a new VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of any current acquired psychiatric disorders or residual of a head trauma and/or TBI.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, but the issue of whether new and material evidence was submitted to reopen a previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but denied the claim itself as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service or within one year post-service. The Veteran was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2003 and does not have any medical evidence linking this diagnosis to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for traumatic brain disease and an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, have been denied due to lack of evidence supporting in-service incurrence or onset.,An individual unemployability claim related to the left wrist disability has also been remanded.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for SLE, immune diseases, fibromyalgia, vertigo, skin condition, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are granted. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The claims for Hepatitis C and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression) as new and material evidence was not received, and there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has referred the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, which may be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral foot disabilities. The TDIU issue is also remanded due to its inextricability with this referral.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, bilateral hearing loss, residuals of a traumatic brain injury, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including major depressive disorder) were denied. The decision also noted that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of a traumatic brain injury or an acquired psychiatric disorder to include a major depressive disorder.

The Board found that the Veteran may be entitled to a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to April 8, 2003 based on evidence suggesting he was unemployable due to his service-connected schizophrenia. The case is being remanded for further review by the Director of Compensation Service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of right ear hearing loss and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim.,For the left ear, the Veteran's disability is manifested by no more than an average puretone threshold, with speech recognition scores of no lower than 100 percent.

An increased rating of 80 percent for neuropathy of the left brachial plexus is granted as of October 6, 2017. The Veteran's psychiatric disability has been rated at 100 percent.,The SMC claim is remanded due to the presence of additional service-connected disabilities and potential confinement issues.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connection due to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for a lumbar spine disability, including disc disease, is denied because the condition did not manifest during service and there is no evidence of an in-service injury or event. The current condition is related to post-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining psychiatric medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine if service connection can be established for bilateral pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, and a psychiatric disability.

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

The Veteran's claims for neck condition, middle shoulder neurological disability, and right ankle condition have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for back condition has been granted with new evidence submitted since the June 1988 rating decision. The claim for acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and bipolar disorder) has also been reopened due to new evidence, but a final determination on this issue is pending.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and its impact on Parents' Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits.