Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for PTSD, finding new and material evidence. The claims for service connection for lower back pain, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes, migraines, tinnitus, and maxillary sinusitis have been granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD and dysthymic disorder) are denied. The claim for increased rating for status post laminectomy lumbosacral spine with low back pain is granted to a maximum of 40 percent from September 20, 2010 to August 6, 2016, but denied thereafter. Separate initial ratings in excess of 10 percent are not warranted for femoral nerve radiculopathy of the right leg and sciatic nerve radiculopathy of the left leg.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction are all service-connected.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military service. Service connection was also granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety disorder and sleep disorder), but this issue is being remanded due to a need for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and depression, has been granted. His rating for chronic bronchitis and asthma remains pending.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated as noncompensable prior to October 13, 2004 and 20 percent thereafter. The issue of service connection for PTSD has been remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA psychiatric examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete service treatment and personnel records. Her basic eligibility for VA home loan benefits remains under review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's reported in-service personal assault is not corroborated, and there is no other evidence of record linking his current psychiatric disorders to service. As such, the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for additional examinations. The Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, psychiatric disorders, leg pain, and foot pain are all under review.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and reopened the claims for SAH and SHA. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is found to be related to his military service, while the claims for SAH and SHA are denied as there are no qualifying disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to military service and he is granted service connection for this condition.,Service connection was granted for schizophrenia, but the effective date of March 11, 2014, is determined to be the earliest possible based on a liberalizing law. The Veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, that is related to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected schizoaffective disorder (schizophrenia) was increased to a 100% rating effective September 5, 2017. The Board determined that the earliest date it was factually ascertainable that the disability had increased in severity was September 5, 1990.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a skin disorder. The decision also addressed initial compensable ratings for left and right hamstring muscle strains but did not assign any rating or effective date.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and medical evaluations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient verification of claimed in-service stressors. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder will be reconsidered after verifying these stressors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to a lack of current diagnosis and no credible evidence linking any diagnosed condition to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability. The issue of tinnitus is withdrawn by the Veteran, and the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded for further development.