Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding whether olanzapine, a medication for service-connected schizophrenia, contributed to the Veteran's death by cardiac arrest. The VA is required to obtain and review any relevant VA treatment records from December 2007 through March 2012.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hip disability due to new and material evidence. The lung disability (including OSA, GERD, and PTSD) and psychiatric disability claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a lack of SSA records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for TBI, headaches, gout, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and PTSD), and Bell’s Palsy due to incomplete records and the need for medical opinions regarding possible causation.

The Veteran's appeal is denied for a higher rating for orthostatic hypotension. The effective dates for service connection of Parkinson’s disease, tardive dyskinesia, and related conditions are remanded due to incomplete adjudication. Bilateral knee disabilities and schizophrenia are also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and an acquired psychiatric disability are denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Board has granted the reopening of the claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury. The claims for service connection for bilateral ankle disability, back disability (claimed as arthritis all over), and bilateral shoulder disability are remanded due to lack of evidence of current disabilities. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression) is also remanded.

The Veteran's request for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions were denied. SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person was granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of consideration of the Veteran's claim for service connection based on an in-service personal assault, specifically a physical altercation with a drill sergeant during basic training.

The claim to reopen the issue of service connection for lung disease, to include asthma and COPD, is denied. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, major depressive disorder, and panic disorder.

The appeal as to entitlement to service connection for a left elbow disability has been dismissed.,New and material evidence having been received; the claims of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM II), hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been reopened.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety disorder NOS, panic disorder, and depressive disorder). The low back disability is considered to be due to deconditioning including excessive tone in the lower extremities and weak abdominal muscles. Service connection for the acquired psychiatric disorder is granted as it is related to service.

The case is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature of the service connection claims for diabetes mellitus and several other conditions. Additional development is required to determine whether the Veteran served on land in Vietnam, which could impact his service connection claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability and TDIU due to a lack of evidence linking his current psychiatric condition to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions including left shoulder, right shoulder, tinnitus, respiratory disability, sleep apnea, hypertension, and headache disability. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence linking these disabilities to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, has been reopened. The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional medical examination and evaluation of his mental health conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied, and the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (specifically major depressive disorder with anxious distress) is granted.

The Veteran's application to reopen their previously denied claims for service connection for headaches, acquired psychiatric disability (including depression and anxiety), blackout disability, and spasm of the temples is granted. The appeals are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records, particularly from the Veteran's National Guard service and his active duty periods. The case will be returned after further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a psychiatric disability has been reopened, but the Board finds that further examination is needed to determine if current hearing loss meets VA criteria.