Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to issues with the evidence and need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying exposure to herbicides. The claims will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions, specifically visual impairment, hearing loss, tinnitus, and psychiatric disorders. The claims are being returned for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and examining his claimed PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a lack of a supplemental statement of the case addressing his TDIU claim and due process issues. The VA needs to obtain updated medical records, arrange for psychiatric and pain management examinations, and issue an appropriate supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for hypertension, acquired psychiatric disorder, back disorder, and left knee disorder. The evidence submitted since the October 1998 rating decision is new and material, thus allowing these claims to be reopened.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, is remanded due to the need for additional development and a VA examination.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a back disability, left and right knee disabilities, bilateral hearing loss disabilities, and psychiatric disorders are all denied as they were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's renal disease is granted as secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The claim for sleep apnea is denied due to lack of diagnosis during active duty and no subsequent medical records showing the condition until decades after separation. Service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus is granted as secondary to hypertension, but hearing loss and PTSD claims are not reopened.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and medical records from various providers.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, a higher evaluation for CAD, and TDIU have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and MDD, was granted. However, the claim itself was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, and dementia have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The claims are granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD and sleep apnea. The rating for hemorrhoids remains unchanged at 10 percent. The case is remanded for further examination regarding sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, secondary to her service-connected bilateral knee condition, has been remanded. The examiner will assess whether the current hip condition is related to obesity caused by her service-connected knee disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hip condition, which she alleges is secondary to her service-connected bilateral knee condition, has also been remanded. The examiner will determine if the hip condition is proximately due to or aggravated beyond its natural progression by any service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes, a psychiatric disorder (vascular dementia), and neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicides in Thailand.

The Board has determined that new evidence was received since the last decision and has remanded both issues of service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD) to allow for consideration of this new evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted service connection, but his schizophrenia is denied.

The Board has reopened the claims for hepatitis C and an acquired psychiatric disorder, but has remanded both issues due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to his military service. The claim for diabetes mellitus, type II has been reopened and is now pending as the Veteran provided new evidence suggesting he served in Vietnam.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is presumed to have been caused by his service in Vietnam based on his reported exposure to herbicides.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further evidentiary development due to new evidence submitted since the June 2012 rating decision. The right ankle disability is being remanded for VA examinations, and the acquired psychiatric disabilities are being remanded for verification of stressors and a VA examination.