Acquired psychiatric disorder decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded multiple cases related to increased ratings and effective dates for various conditions, including a right foot heel fracture, an acquired psychiatric disorder, dermatitis with scarring, degenerative arthritis of the knees, tinnitus, distal phalanx fractures, scars from the knee and thumb, and bilateral hearing loss. The appeals also include requests for earlier effective dates for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including schizophrenia and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the onset and relationship of his current conditions to military service.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, pulmonary fibrosis, hypertension, bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities, and post-operative right ankle fracture as the evidence did not support a link to active service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection claims related to an acquired psychiatric disorder and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim of recognition of his spouse K. P. for purposes of dependency compensation is dismissed as the AOJ has already granted service connection and assigned a rating for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, so the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is rated at a 70 percent disability rating, but no higher. The decision grants the initial rating requested.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition and insufficient medical opinion to support a finding of aggravation. The Veteran's statements regarding a pre-existing condition were not credible.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection and increased disability rating for a psychiatric disability are dismissed as a matter of law.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, higher ratings for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and TDIU due to duty to assist errors. A new opinion is needed from a neuropsychologist regarding the likely etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders.

The appeal for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia was dismissed because the Veteran did not timely file a VA Form 10182 within one year of the November 2020 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and cholelithiasis (gallstones) due to new evidence received since the last rating decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition (claimed as stress) and headaches, to include as secondary to service-connected tinnitus. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance and total disability rating based on individual unemployability are being remanded due to the failure of VA to obtain all available VA treatment records since November 2021.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for left and right knee disabilities, an acquired psychiatric disability, a temporary total disability rating under 38 C.F.R. § 4.29 for an acquired psychiatric disability, and a TDIU due to unresolved development needs.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for unspecified neurocognitive disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including unspecified anxiety disorder and unspecified depressive disorder due to inadequate medical opinion in the April 2021 VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient nexus opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, specifically PTSD.

The Board has denied service connection for migraines and granted service connection for tinnitus. The psychiatric disorder claim is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than October 21, 2019, for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The effective dates are not earlier than October 21, 2019, as the Veteran did not file a formal or informal claim prior to this date.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder is rated at a 70 percent effective February 15, 2021. The rating reflects occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.