Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a low back disability, migraine headache disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete records from her National Guard service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions on a direct basis.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for eczema is granted. The Board finds that the criteria for a maximum 60 percent disability rating have been approximated since the beginning of the claim.,A VA mental health examination is needed to determine if the Veteran’s acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety, had its onset during service or is otherwise related to an in-service stressor. The examiner should also provide an opinion on whether it was caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability, specifically eczema.,A VA neurological examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has a current neurological disorder in his lower extremities and to assess its relationship to his military service. The examiner should also provide an opinion on whether it was caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability, specifically a lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and higher initial ratings for left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's lumbar disability is granted an initial rating of 20 percent, effective October 11, 2007. The earlier effective dates for service connection are denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for myopia/refractive error and an acquired psychiatric disorder, so the claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia has been reopened, and the case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding his psychiatric conditions.

The Board found no evidence to support a direct relationship between the Veteran's active duty service and his acquired psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, and PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and erectile dysfunction have been reopened. The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received, but the cases are still being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, is granted as service connection.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on noise exposure during service.,Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine if his psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability due to additional development being required.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, finding insufficient evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient development, and a new medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to his service or service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD is dismissed because the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded multiple issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and MDD), leukemia, COPD, AC joint arthritis of the left shoulder, urinary frequency, erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, renal artery stenosis, peripheral neuropathy, cervical spine disability, hypertension, and lumbar spine disability. The Veteran is required to attend VA examinations for these issues.

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the condition and his military service. The Veteran's deep vein thrombosis, left lower extremity, currently rated at 60 percent, did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left or right hip disabilities, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions.,Similarly, the Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disability (insomnia) is denied as there is no evidence of a current mental health condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for residuals of head trauma, including TBI, headaches, sleep walking, and a psychiatric disorder, as well as schizophrenia. The case is being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was previously rated at 30 percent prior to May 8, 2019 and is now rated at 50 percent from that date forward. The case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination. The right shoulder condition claim is being remanded for a VA examination, while the psychiatric disorder claim is also being remanded.