Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia. The other claims related to hearing loss, postoperative right foot disability, and right knee disability are pending further development.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection due to new and material evidence. The claims for left leg disability, kidney condition, liver condition, cold injuries, and psychiatric disability are all denied as there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary and the case is being remanded to the RO for further action, including obtaining VA Vocational Rehabilitation records, psychiatric treatment records, and considering secondary service connection.

The veteran's claim for VA compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for residuals of medication given for psychiatric disability is being remanded due to the need for compliance with VCAA requirements and obtaining additional medical records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's in-service self-inflicted gunshot wound to the neck was not due to willful misconduct, and service connection for residuals of a gunshot wound to the neck is granted.

The Board found no objective indications of chronic disability for the claimed conditions and concluded that they were not incurred or aggravated in active military service nor may they be presumed to be related to such service or symptoms of undiagnosed illness related to service in Southwest Asia.

The Board found that the veteran's paranoid schizophrenia was not present during or within one year of service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted the application to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for a back disorder. The remaining claims, including those related to immune system damage, myositis, psychiatric disorders, COPD and asthma, actinic keratosis, right knee disorder, hiatal hernia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, are remanded for further development.

The Board denied an increased rating for schizophrenia, currently evaluated as 50 percent disabling.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to potential incomplete medical records and for appropriate examinations.

The VA has denied service connection for respiratory, liver, skin, and thyroid disabilities due to herbicide exposure. The veteran's psychiatric disability (including PTSD) was not diagnosed during the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete development of his medical records and failure to provide stressor information. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has determined that the veteran's schizophrenia, a chronic undifferentiated type, originated in service and is therefore service-connected.

The veteran's schizophrenia was rated at 70 percent disabling from August 7, 1996 to December 8, 1997. The Board granted a higher rating of 100 percent effective December 9, 1997.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for psychiatric disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, and heart disorders. The RO previously denied these claims in June 1994 without providing VCAA notice.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD related to an in-service gastrointestinal hemorrhage and denied the claim for a higher rating for duodenal ulcer disease. The veteran is entitled to a 10% disability rating for his duodenal ulcer disease.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of November 25, 1987 for the grant of service connection for schizophrenia. The decision found that the earliest evidence of entitlement to service connection arose in April 1988 and thus the effective date could not be earlier than this date.

The veteran's schizophrenia is currently rated at 40 percent disabling and the effective date for service connection has been set at February 7, 2003.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication due to incomplete VCAA notice, need for additional comprehensive psychiatric examination, and obtaining outstanding VA treatment records.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his service connection claims due to unverified dates of active duty for training and incomplete medical records.