Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The veteran's claims for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia and left knee arthritis are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The veteran seeks service connection for a psychiatric disability, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which he claims began during military service. The RO has not obtained all necessary records to fully evaluate his claim and is requesting additional information from the National Personnel Records Center.

The Board found that the veteran does not have migraines or schizophrenia as a result of his military service and denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's schizophrenia did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and is unrelated to service. The claim for service connection for schizophrenia is denied.

The Board found that the veteran did not have a chronic acquired psychiatric disability in service and denied his claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD.

The Board denied compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a back disorder, disability associated with the genitourinary system, and neuropsychiatric disability due to carelessness, negligence, lack of skill, or involved errors in judgment or similar instances of fault on the part of VA.,The Board found no evidence of current identifiable additional back or genitourinary disability related to the VA's treatment of the veteran's colorectal cancer. The Board also found that the veteran's DJD of the lumbar spine was not a secondary expression of his cancer problem, and his genitourinary complaints were related to prostatic hypertrophy.,The Board concluded that the preponderance of the evidence did not establish that any current back, genitourinary, or neuropsychiatric disabilities are the result of carelessness, negligence, lack of skill, or involved errors in judgment or similar instances of fault on the part of VA.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and conducting examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and the propriety of reduction in ratings for shoulder disabilities were denied. The RO increased the rating for right knee chondromalacia patella to 20 percent, confirmed a 10 percent evaluation for left knee chondromalacia patella, and reduced the evaluations for each shoulder disability from 20 to 10 percent.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA examination to evaluate his back disability under the new rating criteria. The issues of increased rating for lumbosacral strain and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder are pending.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability due to any event or incident in service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and a 100 percent rating for schizophrenia. The issue of entitlement to service connection for major depression remains pending and is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for the cause of death secondary to nicotine dependence and tobacco use arising during service, as well as DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 due to the award of service connection for the cause of death.

The veteran's claims for prostate cancer, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected psychiatric disorder or any medication prescribed for it, and thus denied the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as there was no credible evidence supporting the occurrence of a personal assault during service that led to his current symptoms.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability and an increased evaluation for lumbosacral strain, finding that neither condition was attributable to his service-connected lumbosacral strain or active military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of the medical record to address issues related to service connection and increased rating for post-concussion syndrome, as well as entitlement to a total rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board granted service connection for schizophrenia with a 100% rating, effective December 5, 1994. The veteran's claim was reopened based on new and material evidence submitted in April 1989.

The Board finds that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected residuals of a head injury. The VA medical records do not provide sufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the veteran's current cervical spine disability and his military service.

The Board found no evidence of a qualifying stressor and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD.