Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability including PTSD, is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his claims.

The Board has dismissed the appeals as the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing VA and private treatment records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder other than depression and anxiety is being reviewed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a right leg disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than major depressive disorder. The claim for presumptive service connection for a mental health disability was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to verify his exposure to herbicide agents in Panama, which may affect the service connection for some of his claimed conditions.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for right eye, lower back, neck, and left leg conditions due to their withdrawal by the Veteran. The remaining issues of service connection for acquired psychiatric condition (including PTSD and depression), sleep apnea, hyperthyroidism, Barrett's esophagus condition, and high blood pressure or hypertension are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed schizophrenia is related to his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and PTSD due to military sexual trauma, as there are insufficient medical opinions addressing the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions has been granted. The Board also remanded several issues related to the Veteran's disabilities, including cramps of the lower extremities, right shoulder disability, right wrist disability, memory loss due to a motor vehicle accident, cervical spine disability, joint pain, bronchitis, and an acquired psychiatric disability (including schizophrenia and depression).

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities, particularly related to his periods of honorable service. The Veteran needs to provide lay statements about any in-service assault during his honorable service period from 1976-1977 and 1981-1984, and a VA examination is required.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicides, as his service was within the territorial waters of Vietnam.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for schizophrenia, finding that his current condition is at least as likely as not related to his in-service symptoms and diagnosis.

The Veteran's TDIU appeal is dismissed as moot because he has a combined schedular 100 percent disability rating for his service-connected disabilities and SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) is inapplicable.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of in-service psychiatric diagnoses and their connection to current conditions, as well as a lack of VA treatment records from August 1971.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, hypertension, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's assertions regarding in-service stressors are considered, and he is scheduled for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran is not competent to handle disbursement of VA funds due to his mental condition, and the appeal for restoration of competency has been denied.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in August 2014 were inadequate and remanded for further examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's back, neck, TBI, and psychiatric conditions. The issues have been returned to the RO for additional development.

The Veteran was found to be entitled to nonservice-connected pension benefits effective from February 17, 2010, due to her service and psychiatric disabilities. However, the AOJ denied these benefits because of her reported $41,000,000 'business asset,' finding that it constituted a net worth bar.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to incomplete service records and need for further clarification regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD. The VA examiner will be asked to address whether any diagnosed conditions are related to active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to conflicting findings between various VA examinations, private evaluations, and treatment records. The claims are being returned for further examination and evaluation.