Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing at the RO in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 70 percent for schizophrenia, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's service-connected schizophrenia is characterized by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including paranoid schizophrenia and dysthymic disorder. The issue now goes back to the merits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran lacks mental capacity to handle his VA benefits due to schizophrenia, and thus restoration of competency is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder are not related to her service, thus denying both claims.

The Board denied service connection for seminoma of the left testicle, heart disease, diabetes mellitus (Type 2), hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, GAD and MDD, and sleep apnea. The reduction in the evaluation of service-connected bilateral hearing loss from 10 percent disabling to noncompensable was also denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's character of discharge was not a bar to VA benefits due to his insanity at the time he committed the offenses. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and his dyssomnia is related to in-service stressors.,Service connection for residuals of injury to the left index finger was granted as the Veteran reported having injured this finger during service in 1963.

The Veteran's schizophrenia, along with other service-connected conditions, rendered him unemployable for the periods from October 22, 2002 to March 20, 2005 and from April 2, 2005 to April 15, 2007.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for schizophrenia and granted it, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support a diagnosis of schizophrenia within one year following separation from service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and VA treatment records, as well as attempting to secure SSA disability benefits information. The Veteran is also scheduled for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development including obtaining VA Vocational Rehabilitation records, scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of her vocal cord dysfunction and its impact on employment, and preparing an SOC regarding service connection for a psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied because the evidence did not establish an in-service stressor. The claims for psychiatric disability other than PTSD, low back disability, and cervical spine disability are currently pending.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary and the appeal is REMANDED to obtain outstanding VA and private treatment records, clarify whether there are any updated records from the Penn Sleep Center, and schedule the Veteran for appropriate VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to discrepancies in the August 2012 VA examination report and the need for a new opinion regarding the Veteran's service connection claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a higher disability rating for maxillary/frontal sinusitis, service connection for sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including panic attacks, bipolar disorder and depression), and migraine headaches. The current evaluation of 10 percent is deemed sufficient based on the symptoms reported.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathies of the bilateral lower extremities, left knee disability, left eye cataract, and psychiatric disorder (PTSD) are all found to be related to his presumed in-service exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in his left ear, and there is no evidence of such during service. For the acquired psychiatric disability claim, the Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the Veteran's claim for PTSD due to military sexual trauma.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his low back disability does not meet the criteria for a higher than 20 percent evaluation. His other claims are also denied.