Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right knee instability, and a scar on his right knee due to conflicting medical evidence regarding the existence of these conditions and the need for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral flat feet and acquired psychiatric disorder were granted service connection as they were aggravated by service, with the foot condition worsening due to boxing training in service.

The Veteran's service connection for a lung nodule and valvular heart disease was granted with an effective date of March 25, 2017.,Service connection for the acquired psychiatric disorder was granted with an effective date of March 25, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a left ankle fracture, an acquired psychiatric disorder, GERD, IBS, and a right hip disability due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.,Bilateral hearing loss was also denied as there is no evidence indicating it meets the criteria for a compensable rating.

The petition to reopen the claims of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus is granted. The issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for chondromalacia, left knee; service connection for a psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression with polysubstance abuse); service connection for bilateral hearing loss; and service connection for tinnitus are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence corroborating the appellant's claimed stressors. The VA will need to verify the appellant's service on ships with asbestos, his witnessing of a fellow crewmember going overboard, and any fire in the boiler room. A VA examination is required to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disability is related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, alcohol and substance abuse disorder, a sleep disorder, and diabetes mellitus due to potential in-service exposure and/or other factors. The Veteran's personnel records indicate he served under 'very trying conditions' during his active duty.

The Board has decided that the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD as due to military sexual trauma (MST), is remanded. The AOJ must clarify the conclusions reached in the May 2020 Personal Trauma Worksheet and provide a new VA medical opinion considering the appellant's credible testimony regarding changes in behavior from before and after bootcamp.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's service connection claim for right ear hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claims for a left hip disorder, left foot disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder are remanded.,The Veteran's claims for a back disorder and nerve damage of the legs (sciatica) are remanded.,The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted as service connected, with the Board finding that it began in and is etiologically related to his service.

The Veteran's claim for a 10 percent rating for bilateral tinea pedis is granted. However, the claim for service connection for schizophrenia is denied as it was clearly and unmistakably not aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, specifically bipolar disorder, as aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected folliculitis.

The Veteran's appeal on service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a deviated septum, finding that the Veteran's current condition is attributable to his active service. The acquired psychiatric disorder claim remains pending as it was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), an acquired psychiatric disability including PTSD, and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine are denied as there is no persuasive evidence that these conditions began during or are otherwise related to his military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a nerve disability remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective from September 6, 2010. The Board also granted entitlement to TDIU based on the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection for paranoid schizophrenia is granted, but the Board has remanded to determine if he has any other diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder and whether it is related to his service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for residuals of pneumonia, bilateral flat feet (pes planus), low back disorder, right and left knee disorders, acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), sleep apnea, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), or headaches. The Veteran's claims are remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, tinnitus, and hearing loss did not preclude his employability prior to January 16, 2017. The Board denied the claim of entitlement to a TDIU on this basis.