Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records and scheduling an examination to determine if any acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, is related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, an initial rating for lumbosacral strain, spondylolisthesis, levoscoliosis, anterior wedging T10-12, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to outstanding development needed.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a retrospective VA medical opinion regarding the level of occupational and social impairment caused by the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder from December 1, 2008 (the date of claim) to October 1, 2009.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder due to new evidence received since previous decisions. The Veteran's lay statements indicate he had ongoing symptoms after service.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a vision disability is being remanded due to the addition of new evidence since the most recent Statements of the Case.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for traumatic brain injury, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), bilateral median neuropathy, bilateral ulnar neuropathy, cervical spine disability, memory loss, carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and heart disability are being remanded due to the addition of new evidence since the most recent Statements of the Case.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of acquired psychiatric disorders, athlete's foot, appendectomy scar, and sialadenitis were all denied. The Veteran was granted initial compensable ratings (10%) for athlete's foot, appendectomy scar, and sialadenitis. His claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee residuals of lateral meniscectomy is being remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, psychiatric disability, diabetic neuropathy, diabetes, stroke residuals, tinnitus, and bilateral foot neuropathy, prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and vocational experience. The Board has granted entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings of his right knee disability was also remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety disability, bilateral hearing loss, arthritis due to trauma with joint pain, left shoulder disability, right elbow disability, left elbow disability, right wrist disability, left wrist disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability are all granted. The service connection is determined to be direct.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition other than PTSD as secondary to a service-connected disability (back condition), but denied the claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cardiac arrhythmia was reopened, but claims for other conditions were denied. Service connection for right elbow disorder, left ankle disorder, and insomnia were also denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder due to new and material evidence. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine if any current psychiatric disability arose in, or is etiologically related to, the Veteran’s military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability meeting the VA definition of hearing loss.,Service connection for tinnitus has been granted based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has denied service connection for COPD and remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition. The COPD claim is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service, while the psychiatric disorder may be related to service-connected conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a psychiatric disorder, but has remanded both issues due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and psychiatric disorder.

The Board has denied service connection for COPD and remanded the issues of service connection for a cervical spine condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD).

The Board has remanded the case due to unclear employment status and incomplete functional impact assessments of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The AOJ is instructed to complete additional development, including determining work history and income during the appeal period, obtaining opinions on the functional impact of the Veteran's disabilities, and scheduling the Veteran for examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examinations.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, a lumbar spine disability, bilateral eye disability (including glaucoma and cortical cataracts), right ear hearing loss disability, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, and psychiatric disorder (PTSD).,For hypertension, the Board found that there was no evidence of a nexus between service and current hypertension.