Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2019

The Board has denied service connection for Meniere’s disease/vertigo and remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for right hip and knee disabilities, as well as an acquired psychiatric condition have been dismissed. The appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for residuals of post traumatic myopathy of the left anterior chest wall is remanded. The appeal for TDIU is also remanded due to its interrelation with other claims.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for schizophrenia due to lack of a VA examination, and requires that the Veteran be provided with one.

The claim to reopen the previously denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is granted. The right hip disability and left lower extremity scar claims are remanded.

The Board has determined that additional examination is necessary to address the Veteran's claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and his claim related to Military Sexual Trauma (MST).

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran has a residual bilateral hand disability attributable to military cold weather injury. Service connection for residuals of cold weather injuries, bilateral hands is granted.

The Board has withdrawn the claim of service connection for traumatic brain injury. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is granted as a current disability that began during active service. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is remanded due to insufficient evidence to corroborate claimed stressors.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied, and the effective date of his service-connected rating was not established due to a lack of timely filing.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if service connection can be established for a back disorder, skin disorder of the scalp, and psychiatric disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD), headaches, and chronic fatigue have been denied.,An initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for service-connected PTSD has also been denied.

The claim for service connection for a right shoulder injury has been reopened, and the case is REMANDED for further examination. The claims for higher ratings for low back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and acquired psychiatric disorder are also REMANDED.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of blurred vision, chronic back pain, an acquired psychiatric disability to include: depression, insomnia, and nightmares; diabetes, headaches, vertigo, stroke residuals, incontinence, numbness in right leg and foot (also claimed as “pain standing too long”), and numbness in right hand have been withdrawn. The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of a disorder manifested by numbness, right leg and right foot (also claimed as “pain standing too long”) and a disorder manifested by numbness, right hand are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that there is no current disability for which service connection can be granted. The claims are being remanded to obtain a medical examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder, as well as bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a psychiatric disability is denied as the earliest date of receipt of a new claim was August 11, 2000.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spondylosis, finding that the Veteran's current condition did not manifest during or within a year of military service and is not related to his service. The appeal regarding nonservice-connected pension benefits was remanded.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and a bilateral hip condition were initially denied in an April 2010 rating decision. The Board has reopened these claims due to new and material evidence.,Both the left hip disability and right ankle disability claims are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to grant service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to a previous VA examination not complying with the April 2014 remand instructions. The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition is now pending and will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and examination to address his claims for allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric condition, and a lung condition. The Veteran also has pending issues regarding the rating of his left breast scar and entitlement to SMC on account of anatomical loss of one breast.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was not manifested by occupational and social impairment with decreased work efficiency or intermittent inability to perform tasks, warranting a rating higher than 30 percent prior to July 14, 2017.

The Veteran's claim was initially limited to service connection for PTSD, but the medical evidence indicates she has an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD. The Board is remanded to obtain relevant treatment records and conduct a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disorders.