Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional VA examinations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, finding that her symptoms are related to her in-service sexual assault.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep impairment disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and various musculoskeletal conditions have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as PTSD, requires further development due to a duty-to-assist error in failing to obtain a medical opinion regarding his reported military sexual trauma (MST).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a diagnosis of PTSD or other mental health disorders in service and no credible supporting evidence for the claimed stressors. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of corroborating evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and opinions to address his claims of service connection for various knee, headache, low back, and shoulder disorders. The Veteran will be provided with new VA examinations to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric condition, finding no current diagnosis during the appellate period.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, right ear hearing loss, and osteoarthritis of the back are granted. The claim for hyperekplexia is denied.

The Veteran's pending claims for recognition as a substitute claimant and service connection for his psychiatric disorder were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have any pending claims at the time of his death, thus denying substitution.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of evidence of formal or informal claims prior to July 17, 2017.,The effective date for the award of service connection was set at July 17, 2017.

The reduction of the 70% rating for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder to a 50% rating was improper and is void ab initio. The restoration of the 70% rating is granted.,The reduction of the 20% rating for the Veteran's back disability to a 10% rating from September 1, 2020 to June 11, 2021 was also improper and is void ab initio. The restoration of the 20% rating is granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that his current diagnosis is related to his in-service experiences.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Board has granted readjudication of the previously denied claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, and a thyroid condition due to new and relevant evidence. The appeal is dismissed for the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.,The appeals for hypertension and thyroid conditions are remanded as there was a failure to comply with the duty-to-assist.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability was granted a 70% rating and TDIU effective October 28, 2019. The Board found that the increase in severity of the condition occurred on October 24, 2019.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence was submitted to warrant readjudication of the previously denied service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The case is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea due to untimeliness. The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, asthma, sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, headaches, bilateral plantar fasciitis, sciatica, right knee disability, left knee disability, and an acquired psychiatric disability were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a PTSD diagnosis and his unspecified anxiety disorder is not related to service, thus denying service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and a duty to assist error. The Veteran's back condition may be related to his active duty service, but more development is needed. For PTSD, there are inconsistencies in when the disability began that need clarification.