Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2023

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as there was no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury related to the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that it was incurred in or caused by his honorable period of service.,Service connection for right ankle disability, left ankle disability, and right shoulder disability are all denied due to lack of credible supporting evidence that these conditions began during active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disability may have pre-existed service and is related to a personality disorder. The claim for TDIU is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, and for an initial compensable evaluation for hypertension due to his failure to report for VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as secondary to her service-connected orthopedic disabilities. However, the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was denied as new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim. The Veteran's claim for tinnitus was granted.,The Veteran has current tinnitus that began during active duty.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU prior to May 1, 2012 was denied. The issue of an increased initial evaluation for his service-connected heart disabilities was remanded.,A TDIU is granted from October 4, 2019, to June 30, 2020, and from November 1, 2020, to the present.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that it is related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and increased rating for chronic lumbar spine strain with degenerative arthritis due to inadequate examination reports and need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for internal and external hemorrhoids, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records and Reserve service personnel records. The Veteran's claim for TDIU is also remanded due to incomplete employment information.

The Veteran's appeal of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, a right arm disability, a right elbow disability, a left arm disability, a left elbow disability, a left foot disability, and a right hip disability has been dismissed.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted with consideration of the benefit of the doubt. The issue of whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected right Achilles tendon disability remains at equipoise.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various conditions due to a failure to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) in the initial rating decisions. The Veteran must be provided with an SOC addressing whether new and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen these claims.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD previously recognized as depression and stress, present during the Veteran's lifetime. The examiner is asked to determine if these conditions had their onset in service or are related to service.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the March 2023 remand directives and has therefore ordered new VA examinations for the Veteran's claims of service connection for epilepsy, non-epilepsy seizure, respiratory disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to obtain relevant VA treatment records and to provide the Veteran with a psychiatric examination.

The Board has found that the VA failed to exhaust all potential locations for the Veteran's service treatment records from October 2011 to May 2012, and thus remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for a right ankle strain is denied because he did not appeal the May 2012 rating decision that initially denied his original claim.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied because there was no prior claim or informal claim for this condition before February 10, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for increased rating of head injury residuals was denied, and a separate disability rating of 50 percent for headaches was granted.,A TDIU from July 2016 was granted based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's psychiatric condition has been rated at 70 percent, but not higher. The issue of service connection for fibromyalgia is remanded.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for status post brain surgery and remanded it for further development. The psychiatric disability claim is also remanded, with consideration given to both primary and secondary theories of entitlement.