Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition (claimed as PTSD) has been reopened and granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, finding no link between his active service and current psychiatric condition. The Board also found that any diagnosed psychiatric disability is not related to his service-connected right hand disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service medical records and a need for a VA examination to assess the appellant's mental state at the time of his AWOL offenses. The issue is not about service connection, but rather whether the character of the appellant’s discharge is a bar to receiving VA benefits.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence and inadequate VA examinations. The issues of service connection for various disorders are being reviewed again.

The appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for right knee disability is granted. A rating of 60 percent, but no higher, for status post left total knee replacement is granted. Service connection for right knee disability and acquired psychiatric disability are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and anxiety disorder, are not related to his active duty service. The evidence does not show a link between any current mental health conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (including anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder), and bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate VA examination reports and failure to comply with prior remand instructions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder may be related to their service-connected left ankle and left knee disabilities, but needs further clarification from a VA examiner.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a sleep disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder to include depression and alcohol abuse, and a disability claimed as a gynecological condition due to lack of current diagnoses or in-service disease/injury related to these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to gather her complete work history, obtain missing VA treatment records, and schedule a psychiatric examination. The goal is to determine if she can secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to her disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings in several areas, including cervical spine disability, acquired psychiatric disorders, lumbar spine disabilities, and radiculopathies of the upper and lower extremities are dismissed. The Veteran’s appeal for TDIU is also remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence showing a pre-existing condition. The Board also found that the current psychiatric disorder is not related to any in-service injury or event.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the Veteran's failure to appear for a VA examination. The matter is being returned to the AOJ for further action, including scheduling a new VA compensation examination.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension secondary to service-connected type II diabetes mellitus (DM) has been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of these conditions.,Specifically, the Board concluded that there is no evidence of a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, or tinnitus. For hypertension, the Board noted that it was diagnosed prior to the onset of service-connected type II diabetes mellitus (DM).

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's sleep impairment prior to November 2, 2015.

The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted. The appeal is allowed to that extent only, and the case is remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the TDIU claim due to insufficient medical inquiry into the Veteran's employability. The case is returned for further development and consideration.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and opinion regarding PTSD, psychiatric disabilities other than PTSD, right knee disability, and left knee disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypothyroidism, joint pain, fatigue, intolerance to cold temperatures (cold hands), and an acquired psychiatric condition as secondary to his service-connected hypothyroidism.