Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current diagnosis of PTSD is related to his military service and thus service connection is granted.

The Board denied the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety, mental disorder, mood swings, poor attitude, and psychosis (including as due to Camp Lejeune contaminated drinking water), was denied because the new evidence did not show that the condition occurred in or was caused by service.

The Veteran's right ankle disability, gastrointestinal condition, and acquired psychiatric disability are all considered granted. The low back disability and headache disability remain pending as the appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, allergies, bronchitis, and hypertension have been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during service or related to service. The claim for hepatitis C has been remanded due to the need for an opinion regarding herbicide exposure. The claim for acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and/or depression) has also been remanded for a separate opinion on both PTSD and depression.,The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, allergies, bronchitis, hypertension, and irritable bowel condition have all been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during service or related to service. The claim for hepatitis C due to herbicide exposure has also been remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including neck disability, headache disability, and acquired psychiatric disability. The claims are being remanded for further development, specifically obtaining additional private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and ensuring all relevant documents are associated with the claims file. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is also on appeal.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection of chronic undifferentiated schizophrenia on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE), finding no evidence of CUE in any prior decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, and a VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, headaches, left ear hearing loss and acquired psychiatric disorder has been granted.,New evidence was submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disability due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted on an extraschedular basis.,For the period from March 7, 2012, to November 30, 2017, his acquired psychiatric disability was evaluated as 50 percent disabling. The Board found that this level of impairment did not meet or exceed the criteria for a higher rating (such as 70% or 100%) and thus denied an increased evaluation.,The Veteran's arthritis conditions were remanded due to insufficient evidence on whether they are service-connected.,Service connection was granted for headaches secondary to tinnitus.,Other claims, including those related to sleep disability, hypertension, skin condition, diabetes mellitus, special monthly compensation, and TDIU, were also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the issues of hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to new evidence. The cervical spine disability, head injury with memory loss, migraine headaches, and hearing loss cases are also being remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus, vertigo, and a heart disability. The claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded as there are no VA examinations addressing the issue.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including left hip disability, degenerative joint disease of the left knee, diabetes mellitus type II, and psychiatric disabilities. The effective date for service connection for a lumbar spine disability is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a brain tumor was dismissed. The claim to reopen her acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD due to MST) was granted, but the case is remanded for additional development.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD related to service stressors. The case is remanded for further development regarding the Veteran's depressive disorder, including whether it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by active service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, is found to be related to his service. The Board granted the claim as the doubt in favor of the Veteran was resolved.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability is rated at 70 percent, but not total. A TDIU is also granted due to the Veteran's inability to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to October 27, 2011, for the grant of service connection for schizophrenia, paranoid type, organic delusional disorder with PTSD has been dismissed due to his death.