Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2020

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, and for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability. The Board found that there is no evidence of a pre-existing condition or injury during ACDUTRA (active duty training) that led to the current psychiatric disorders.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the submission of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability and right foot metatarsalgia are not related to his military service.,The Board also found that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus is not related to his military service. The acquired psychiatric disorder remains under consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is at least as likely as not related to military service. The claim for ischemic heart disease was also granted based on presumed exposure to herbicides during service.,Service connection for ischemic heart disease was granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, mixed personality disorder, and persistent mood disorder due to a lack of verified in-service stressor and insufficient evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal as he died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied service connection for right knee and left knee disabilities, but granted service connection for PTSD with depression and anxiety.,Secondary service connection was granted for the Veteran's left knee disability as it is related to his right knee disability.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disability is denied as there was no evidence of a current disability related to service.,Service connection for headaches, to include as secondary to TBI, is denied due to lack of evidence linking the current condition to service or TBI.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include depression and anxiety, is denied as there is no evidence showing it was incurred in service.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not shown by VA standards.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and PTSD, finding that there was no evidence of in-service onset or a link to service.

The appeal on the issue of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder is dismissed.,Entitlement to service connection for left shoulder arthritis is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but has found that additional development is needed due to the complexity of the issues and potential overlap between some of them.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records from his time in prison. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all relevant medical records, including those from June 1988 to December 1990 and February 1995 to the present.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records from his National Guard and Army Reserve periods of service. The claims will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is remanded due to changes in her service-connected disabilities and the need for a new examination to assess her employability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral hip disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder (bipolar I disorder and PTSD) are remanded due to inadequate opinions in the July 2019 VA examination report and August 2019 VA mental health examination.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders did not begin during service or are otherwise related to his military service.

The Board has vacated its decision denying service connection for a psychiatric disorder and remanded the matter due to an inextricably intertwined claim of service connection for prostate cancer. The Veteran's depression is less likely than not due to service, but could be secondary to prostate cancer if that condition is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a left great toe condition and denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression, anxiety and insomnia).

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including MDD. The Board found no credible supporting evidence of the in-service stressor that led to the development of PTSD, and concluded there was no current diagnosis of depression separate from PTSD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that it is proximately due to his service-connected heart disability. The appeal was resolved in favor of the Veteran.