Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased rating, service connection, and TDIU due to his acquired psychiatric disorder, headaches, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The issues include challenges regarding the competency of a VA examiner and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, both related to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disorder. The right ear hearing loss is also found to be related to in-service noise exposure. However, the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder solely for eligibility purposes under 38 U.S.C. § 1702 is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been resolved, and the matter is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim of a rating in excess of 40 percent for his lumbar spine disability is denied. The issue of service connection for Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is remanded. The issue of TDIU is also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions did not begin in service and are not related to military service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection has been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board will need further information or examinations regarding his hearing loss, neck disability, and psychiatric conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include depression, was dismissed as the issue has been fully granted. The claims of service connection for a vestibular condition, including tinnitus and secondary to service-connected left knee disabilities; lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD), secondary to service-connected left knee disabilities; and right knee disability, secondary to service-connected left knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to her exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and requests additional evidence or medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a right hip condition, obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's appeal as to sleep apnea was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal. The appeals for hearing loss, tinnitus, psychiatric disorders, and left leg disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including bilateral deafness, a bilateral hip disorder, a neck disorder, a bilateral shoulder disorder, a back disorder, a bilateral knee disorder, a bilateral ankle disorder, a bilateral arm disorder, carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral hands, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder), hypertensive cardiovascular disease, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, a bilateral elbow disorder, and a bilateral foot disorder were not caused by or related to his active duty service.,The Veteran's claimed conditions did not manifest within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding her exposure to noise in Southwest Asia during service.

The Veteran's combined effects of acquired psychiatric disorders and TBI resulted in total social and occupational impairment as of June 16, 2016.,Effective November 5, 2020, the symptoms of vertigo due to an ear condition are considered for a separate rating.

The Veteran's daughter is denied Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under Chapter 35, Title 38, United States Code due to her reaching the age of 26 before applying for the benefits and the effective date of the Veteran's permanent and total disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and to burial benefits, including both nonservice-connected and service-connected burial benefits. The appellant's Notice of Disagreement may be construed as also pertaining to the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine if the Veteran currently suffers from an acquired psychiatric disorder and whether any such disorders are related to service or service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to its inextricability with the remaining claims.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted from May 12, 2015 due to his service-connected psychiatric disability preventing him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder, is granted as service-connected. The matter of TDIU is also remanded for further adjudication.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connection due to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for lumbar spine disorder and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are granted based on evidence showing a nexus between current conditions and service.

The Board has remanded both claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and PTSD due to the addition of new evidence. The Veteran was not provided a waiver, so the case will be returned to the AOJ for review.