Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The decision is mixed as some issues are granted while others are not.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder is granted with a 10% rating, and his GERD is also granted as due to disease or injury incurred in active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for renal insufficiency, claimed as a bilateral kidney disorder, is denied because there is no current evidence of the condition. The Board notes that the Veteran failed to report for blood work ordered by the VA examiner in July 2013.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, were not incurred in or caused by his military service and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board Hearing. The primary issue remains unresolved regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a psychiatric disability other than PTSD, cervical spine disability, degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, left hand disability to include frostbite residuals, and right hand disability to include frostbite residuals have been denied as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including rescheduling VA examinations and scheduling a hearing at the RO.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim due to incomplete development, including a failure to obtain SSA records. A VA examination is required to determine if any current psychiatric disorder was caused or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims of service connection for various conditions, finding that none were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a bilateral knee disorder to allow for additional development, including obtaining corroborating documentation of a claimed stressor incident and providing an addendum to a previous VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus type II due to herbicide exposure, and glaucoma as secondary to diabetes are all denied. The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure in the Republic of Vietnam and thus could not grant presumptive service connection based on Agent Orange exposure. Diabetes was not present during service or within one year after discharge, and there is no medical evidence linking it to service. Glaucoma was also not shown to be related to diabetes mellitus.

The Board has granted service connection for partial left femoral nerve injury and tinnitus, finding that these conditions were not the result of the Veteran's willful misconduct. The other issues related to service connection have been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied service connection for schizophrenia, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the Veteran's request for a hearing and his desire to obtain private medical records before having his claim readjudicated.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include as secondary to a service-connected disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder is not shown to have manifested during service or for many years thereafter, and there is no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. Service connection was also denied for a skin disorder, low back disorder, sleep disorder, stomach disorder, penis deformity, prostate disorder, and heart disease.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his claims file and a new VA opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his psychiatric disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran likely developed multilevel cervical spine DDD while in service, and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition based on a presumption of service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including review of service personnel records and a new examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia remains pending.