Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to failure of the Veteran to report for VA examinations. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with verifying a claimed PTSD stressor event. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain and associate unit records from the Veteran's service, including morning reports and unit histories, through the JSRRC or other appropriate agencies.

The Board denied service connection for lung cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as sleep disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding potential herbicide exposure and private medical records.

The claims for service connection for thoracic spine disability, UTI residuals, and restless leg syndrome are dismissed. The right shoulder disability, headache disability, acquired psychiatric disability, fibromyalgia, and colitis have been granted.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) as the evidence did not support a link to service, with COPD being less likely related to herbicide exposure or in-service duties, and PTSD due to willful misconduct. The Veteran's anxiety was found to be within normal limits.

The Board dismissed the claim of service connection for a left eye disability due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal. The other claims are remanded.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service connection claims for TBI, seizure disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to missing service treatment records and inadequate examinations. The issues will be further evaluated with additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is granted. The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for psychiatric disability, neck disability, low back disability, and migraine headaches.

Service connection has been granted for headaches, a psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and depression), and residuals of a broken jaw. The Veteran's skin condition, claimed as jungle rot, traumatic brain injury to include syncope, right shoulder disability, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity are all pending.,The Board has granted service connection for headaches, a psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and depression), and residuals of a broken jaw. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the 1979 rating decision.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 100 percent for schizophrenia and dismissed the claim for a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as moot due to the grant of the higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and review of treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, delusional disorder NOS, and schizotypal personality disorder, are being reviewed as service connection is decided on the merits.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), and bilateral hearing loss in March 2015, October 2015, and June 2007 respectively. The Veteran's application to reopen these claims is pending.,New evidence received since the last final denial does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating any of the service connection claims.

The Board denied service connection for paranoid schizophrenia, finding that the Veteran's condition did not manifest in service or within one year of discharge and is not shown to be otherwise related to service.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection. The issues of right thumb disorder, right foot disorder, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), migraine headaches, and psychiatric disorder have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of in-service stressors and a need for additional VA examination. The Veteran's service records confirm his reported stressor, but further verification is needed for other claimed stressors.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence filed by the Veteran and incomplete records from his Army Reserve service.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 100% rating for PTSD with schizoaffective, bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia effective September 1, 2016, as the reduction from 100% to 70% was improper due to insufficient evidence of actual sustained improvement.