Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is being remanded for further investigation into the Veteran's claimed stressors during his service in Korea.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depressive disorder), and sleep apnea due to conflicting medical findings and lack of examinations. The effective date claim is denied as no earlier effective date can be granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining complete VA treatment records and service personnel records. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss will be evaluated again, as his condition may have worsened since the last examination. Service connection for diabetes mellitus is also remanded to determine if it is related to exposure at Camp Lejeune during active duty. Additionally, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder secondary to diabetes mellitus will be considered.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has remanded both his claim for an increased rating and his TDIU claim due to new evidence of worsening symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further medical examination. The issues include tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, depression, anxiety), erectile dysfunction, flat feet, right knee injury, and left knee injury.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of February 25, 2000 for the grant of service connection for schizophreniform disorder due to CUE in the September 6, 2000 rating decision. The claim to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression has been granted.,The Board has remanded the issue of assigning a disability rating greater than 70 percent prior to August 14, 2018 for other specified schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder with PTSD and unspecified neurocognitive disorder.

The Board has remanded several claims for service connection due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his service-connected schizophrenic reaction, paranoid type and for service connection for a heart condition are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and verification of in-service exposure.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance prior to November 9, 2012 is denied. The Board found that there was no factual need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected psychiatric disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and additional development is needed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left foot and right foot disabilities due to insufficient information in the record regarding these conditions.

The claims for service connection for various conditions, including neurological disabilities of the hands, PTSD, gastrointestinal disorders, and heart disabilities were denied. The claim for increased rating for cervical spine disability was also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability and residuals of a traumatic brain injury are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and a depressive disorder. The case is remanded to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and related conditions are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,Service connection for diabetic retinopathy is also denied as there is no direct or secondary link to the Veteran's diabetes.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for IBS, acquired psychiatric disorder (MDD and Anxiety Disorder), and migraines due to the need for additional evidence. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all outstanding medical records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if her conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and review, including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion regarding environmental exposures. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and hypertension have been remanded due to the submission of new evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, initial compensable rating, and initial rating in excess of 10 percent were dismissed due to the death of the Veteran. Service connection claims were also dismissed.