Acquired psychiatric disorder Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, a right arm disability, a right elbow disability, a left arm disability, a left elbow disability, a left foot disability, and a right hip disability has been dismissed.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted with consideration of the benefit of the doubt. The issue of whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected right Achilles tendon disability remains at equipoise.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various conditions due to a failure to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) in the initial rating decisions. The Veteran must be provided with an SOC addressing whether new and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen these claims.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD previously recognized as depression and stress, present during the Veteran's lifetime. The examiner is asked to determine if these conditions had their onset in service or are related to service.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the March 2023 remand directives and has therefore ordered new VA examinations for the Veteran's claims of service connection for epilepsy, non-epilepsy seizure, respiratory disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to obtain relevant VA treatment records and to provide the Veteran with a psychiatric examination.

The Board has found that the VA failed to exhaust all potential locations for the Veteran's service treatment records from October 2011 to May 2012, and thus remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for a right ankle strain is denied because he did not appeal the May 2012 rating decision that initially denied his original claim.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied because there was no prior claim or informal claim for this condition before February 10, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for increased rating of head injury residuals was denied, and a separate disability rating of 50 percent for headaches was granted.,A TDIU from July 2016 was granted based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's psychiatric condition has been rated at 70 percent, but not higher. The issue of service connection for fibromyalgia is remanded.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for status post brain surgery and remanded it for further development. The psychiatric disability claim is also remanded, with consideration given to both primary and secondary theories of entitlement.

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service stressors.

The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to withdrawal of claims for right shoulder disorder and tinnitus, and the Board found new and material evidence in favor of reopening her claims for acquired psychiatric disorder, fibromyalgia, and left shoulder disorder.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of schizophrenia was denied because the new evidence submitted did not provide a reasonable possibility of substantiating the issue.

The Board has withdrawn the claim for left knee injury and granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The remaining issues have been remanded due to outstanding records and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of a claimed tank accident and associated accidental death, which is necessary for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a bladder disability has been dismissed. For the period on appeal, his psychiatric disability is rated at 70 percent.,TMJ and hypertension have been remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar spine disability, left ankle disability, chest pain, and right hand disability due to unresolved issues. The psychiatric disorder claim is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and benefits related to a psychiatric disorder, Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), and TDIU are dismissed due to procedural defects in the modernized appeal system.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of service connection for tinnitus is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent under VA regulations.,There is no evidence to support service connection for memory loss as a physical disorder, and there is no indication that Crohn's disease existed prior to active duty military service.,Service connection cannot be granted for an acoustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma of the left side due to lack of nexus between the condition and military service. The Veteran's regional ileitis/Crohn's disease was not aggravated by such service.,The Veteran does not have evidence that his Crohn's disease existed prior to active duty military service, nor is there any indication that it was aggravated by such service.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) and multiple spinal cord neuromas are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.,Service connection cannot be granted for multiple spinal cord neuromas as the Veteran did not provide new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has decided to remand them due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service stressors and medical records.