Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) because the Appellant did not provide the requested VA Form 21-8940, which is needed to determine her ability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cold injury residuals of the upper and lower extremities, as well as PTSD, have been granted. The Board found that there is a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims based on new evidence received since the previous denial.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to issues with scheduling VA examinations at an incarcerated veteran's facility. The Veteran is required to be examined at Aleda E. Lutz VAMC.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development and lack of substantial compliance with previous directives. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being reviewed for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically related to his alleged in-service stressors and acquired psychiatric disability. The claim is being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and right-ear hearing loss have been withdrawn. The Veteran's IBS claim has been granted, as well as his tinnitus claim. His GERD claim is pending and will be remanded.,The Veteran's IBS was found to be service-connected due to his military service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations. His tinnitus was also found to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric conditions and their relationship to his military service. The case is being returned for further development.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding entitlement to increased ratings for a psychiatric condition, service connection for a lumbar spine disability, and service connection for a left knee disability due to the appellant's withdrawal of his/her appeals.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as PTSD, is causally related to his active military service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bursitis, pruritis, arthritis, low back disability (claimed as secondary to PTSD), sleep disorder, kidney infection, respiratory condition (claimed as COPD/emphysema), and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD) have all been denied. The evidence does not establish a current disability or link between the claimed conditions and service.,The Veteran's claims for bursitis, pruritis, arthritis, low back disability (claimed as secondary to PTSD), sleep disorder, kidney infection, respiratory condition (claimed as COPD/emphysema), and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD) have not been reopened due to the lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and OSA, as these issues are intertwined with the previous denial. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

Right leg shin splints, left leg shin splints, and GERD are granted service connection.,Psychiatric disability is granted with an effective date of November 30, 2017. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date is denied.

The Veteran's request to reopen service connection for back problems was denied as the new evidence did not relate to the basis of the prior denial.,Service connection for a neck disability was also denied because the new evidence did not relate to the basis of the prior denial.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals on all issues due to his withdrawal of the appeal prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability claim was previously denied in April 2012, but reopened due to new evidence received since then. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) was also reopened.,Service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as there is no persuasive evidence of a current hearing loss disability during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death. The appeal is remanded for further development regarding the Veteran's glioblastoma multiforme and schizophrenia.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including insomnia, depression, and a mood disorder, is granted as service-connected. The case is also remanded for consideration of TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and a need for further examinations. The issues include frostbite of the bilateral feet, an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as depression), hypertension, hepatitis C, erectile dysfunction, skin disability, lower back disability, skeletal arthritis, bilateral eye disability, bilateral sinus disability, esophageal disability, and stomach disability.

The Board has remanded the issues of whether there is clear and unmistakable error in the denial of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, as well as the claims for service connection due to military sexual trauma (MST) and TDIU. The Veteran's reports of MST have not been verified.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia, finding that it clearly and unmistakably preexisted service and was not aggravated by service.