Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2018

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for PTSD and remanded it due to new evidence provided by the Veteran. The case is now pending further review.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of right ear hearing loss is remanded due to the need for further development.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus remains pending and will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain is denied as not related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.,Service connection for the left foot condition, claimed as plantar fascitis and bone spurs, is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service.,Sinusitis is granted based on positive medical opinion linking current symptoms to service.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression and anxiety) is not service-connected as there is no diagnosed condition or treatment in service records.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of an in-service stressor or injury, and the appellant's current psychiatric disorders are not related to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for PTSD and Schizophrenia is denied.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a lumbar spine disorder, finding that the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical examination to determine if the appellant was insane at the time of misconduct leading to his discharge.

Service connection for TBI and associated disabilities is granted, effective May 24, 2017. The Veteran's migraines are service connected as a residual of his TBI. Effective dates for other conditions are set based on the reopening of previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, osteopenia, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, cognitive disorder, and/or depression) due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records, including from Vet Centers.

The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis and remanded the issues of service connection for hyposmia, hypogeusia, bronchitis, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), back disorder, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives and unclear communication regarding an in-person examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is now pending again.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for delusional disorder and parasomnia (claimed as chronic paranoid schizophrenia with delusional disorder and parasomnia) was denied, but the effective date of the grant of service connection is set at February 17, 2012.

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD. The Veteran's PTSD is linked to his in-service stressor, while the acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is not related to service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and an addendum opinion to address the nature and etiology of his current diagnoses.

The veteran's service is not considered qualifying due to the short duration and lack of a service-connected disability at discharge. Therefore, he does not meet the eligibility criteria for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

Service connection for bilateral eye disorders, migraine headaches, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, PTSD, and unspecified depressive disorder is granted.,The Veteran's service records do not provide evidence of a direct link between his current conditions and military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for a low back disability and an acquired psychiatric disability, including schizophrenia and PTSD. The claims are now remanded to obtain additional evidence and examinations.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy involving both the sciatic and femoral nerves throughout the period of the claim.,For the period prior to April 9, 2015, the Board has also granted a TDIU based on service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD with major depressive disorder, is denied as there is no credible evidence to support the claimed in-service stressor and his diagnosis of PTSD is based on unverified accounts.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for steatohepatitis and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to the need for additional VA treatment records, as well as a new examination to address the Veteran's theories of entitlement.