Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Board has decided that additional development is needed before the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability can be adjudicated. The Veteran will need to provide new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied claim.

The Veteran is granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent for his service-connected low back disability, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination. The issues of service connection for PTSD related to military sexual trauma, chronic bronchitis, asthma, COPD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD) are pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's claims for psychiatric disorder, residuals of a head injury, tinnitus, right eye disability, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability are not etiologically related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and TDIU due to a lack of reserve service records. The Veteran's claim will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety disorder. Service connection for a heart disability is denied as there is no evidence of in-service incurrence or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically paranoid schizophrenia, is found to have manifested within one year of his qualifying active duty service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for obtaining SSA records and readjudication. The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for schizophrenia remains pending.

The Board has vacated the May 2017 decision denying service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder. The Veteran's claim is granted as his MDD began during active duty.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities. The acquired psychiatric disability claim is pending.

The Board found clear and unmistakable evidence demonstrating that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to obtain service treatment records and military personnel records, including those related to a May 1973 in-patient detoxification while stationed in Korea. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder will be evaluated based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder caused occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but did not cause deficiencies in most areas or total occupational and social impairment. The Veteran is therefore entitled to a disability rating of 50 percent for his acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been granted. The effective dates are April 14, 2009.

The Veteran's right and left ankle disabilities have been rated at 10 percent since April 28, 2001. Effective March 2, 2017, the Veteran is entitled to a 20 percent rating for each ankle disability due to marked limitation of motion. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder has not been linked to service or any incident thereof and thus does not meet criteria for service connection. The Veteran's TDIU claim has also been denied.

The Veteran's left arm and back chemical burn scars are rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under DC 7801.,Prior to November 6, 2015, the acquired psychiatric disorder was rated at 50 percent. After that date, it has been rated at 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain relevant records and provide supplemental opinions from VA examiners.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for PTSD and found that new evidence was received. However, it denied both the reopening of the claim and the original claim for service connection due to lack of a verified in-service stressor.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the current severity of his service-connected dental disability, whether any other aspects of his overall dental condition are due to the loss of his upper front teeth, and whether he has any current residuals of a TBI or acquired psychiatric disorder associated with his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 27, 2006, for the grant of service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) was denied as there is no evidence showing a claim for PTSD within one year of his discharge.