Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and migraines due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's active duty is unclear, and further development is needed including verifying his federal duty status on July 1, 1999.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and conducting examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The appeal for service connection for onychomycosis, claimed as right foot dermatitis, is dismissed.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder claimed as PTSD, to include anxiety and depression are denied. The Veteran's hypertension claim has been remanded.,The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the right foot dermatitis issue in October 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete service personnel records, which are needed to substantiate his claim of active service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted as service connected. The right knee and lumbar spine issues are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was as likely as not aggravated by his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection due to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's right shoulder condition and acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder) are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection claims for various conditions due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a gynecological disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression. The issues are related to whether these conditions are secondary to her service-connected hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for schizophrenia, a condition related to the Appellant's ACDUTRA training in July-August 1978. The diagnosis of PTSD is not supported by the evidence and was denied.

The claims for service connection of hepatitis C and posttraumatic stress disorder have been reopened, but the issues of increased ratings for left wrist fracture with strain and left elbow arthralgia, as well as TDIU, are still pending.,Additional evidence has been submitted to support reopening of the hepatitis C and PTSD claims. However, further development is needed in order to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that service connection for tinnitus is warranted. Service connection for a sinus disorder, back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's pineal cysts are granted service connection, while the issue of service connection for a psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) is remanded due to unresolved stressor verification.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, but his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (specifically chronic adjustment disorder with depressed mood) was granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence regarding the current diagnosis of PTSD and other psychiatric conditions. Service connection for a right ankle disorder is denied, while service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) remains on appeal.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of July 2, 2011 for a disability rating of 100 percent for his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder (schizophrenia, PTSD, and depression). The issue of entitlement to Total Disability due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is moot as the primary basis for the grant of TDIU would be the Veteran's service-connected mental disability.

The Veteran's claims for hypercholesterolemia, back disability, acquired psychiatric disability, epilepsy, and sleep disorder on substitution basis have all been denied due to lack of evidence supporting a link between these conditions and service.,For the claim for bilateral hearing loss, the Veteran was granted secondary service connection based on his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection of gastrointestinal damage, sinus cancer, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The issues have been remanded for further development including obtaining complete service department records, verifying herbicide exposure, and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, gouty arthritis, cervical spine disorder, and lumbar spine disorder. The claims for increased ratings for bilateral epidermophytosis and tinea pedis and left foot callosity remain denied.