Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Veteran was granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and a TDIU effective May 12, 2011. The rating of 40% is assigned for the acquired psychiatric disability.

The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has granted reopening of the claim for service connection for left knee disability and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The Veteran's right knee disability is not considered to have caused or aggravated his current left shoulder condition.

The Board has received notification of the appellant's request to withdraw his appeal, and as such, the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected left lower extremity popliteal nerve injury with foot drop is rated at the highest available rating without violating the Amputation Rule. His SFW scars are not compensably rated due to their static nature.

The Board has decided that a remand is needed due to the need for another VA examination to determine if any diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his service, as evidenced by in-service noise exposure and current hearing impairment. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling new VA examinations to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed low back, left knee, left shoulder, and psychiatric disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, is denied. The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis of PTSD and concluded that the Veteran's current diagnosis of adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood was more likely related to his childhood abuse rather than his in-service events. Service connection for ischemic heart disease as a result of exposure to herbicide agents is also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran and VA treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for his left inguinal hernia and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding insufficient evidence to support these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for schizophrenia and for psychosis for purposes of establishing eligibility for treatment, finding that there was no evidence linking his current conditions to his military service.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeals for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include a bipolar disorder, and to include as secondary to service-connected migraine headaches; entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for migraine headaches on an extraschedular basis; and entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) by reason of being housebound. As such, the Board must dismiss these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's current back disability is not related to service, and denied his claim for service connection.,The Veteran was granted nonservice-connected pension benefits due to over 90 days of active wartime service and permanent total disability.

The Veteran does not have any acquired psychiatric disorder of service origin and the claim is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant records and providing addendum opinions on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed psychiatric disorder and low back disorder.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder has been rated at 70 percent since June 15, 2006. The Board finds that the criteria for a TDIU are met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for bilateral knee disorder, and concluded that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between his current hip or low back conditions and his military service. His acquired psychiatric disorders were also not linked to his service. For his Achilles tendonitis claims, he did not meet the threshold requirements for increased ratings. The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as well.