PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining unit histories of the Veteran's service at Da Nang Air Base and conducting a VA psychiatric examination to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disability is related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development of evidence and due process development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as his inability to work is attributed to both service-connected and nonservice-connected conditions.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder has been rated at a 50 percent evaluation since June 22, 2001. The Board found that the symptoms did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need to obtain additional treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied, but his anxiety disorder claim was granted due to the preponderance of evidence in favor of a connection between his military service and his anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for a scheduled hearing. The case will be processed as though the request for a hearing had been withdrawn.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current anxiety disorder is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition. However, there is no evidence of a current diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's PTSD has been primarily manifested by social isolation, avoidance, intrusive memories, flashbacks and nightmares, hypervigilance, irritability, anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, some memory loss, and difficulty in maintaining work and social relationships. The Board finds that the criteria for a 50% rating are met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and GAD, must be remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the in-service stressor. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Board found that the newly submitted evidence was cumulative and did not provide new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO level.

The Veteran's PTSD has been productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50% rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and further verification of his claimed stressors.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD symptoms are mild, with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. The VA determined that the current level of disability does not warrant an evaluation higher than 30 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for the aggravation of the appellant's depressive disorder by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since October 16, 2007. The rating is based on occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as difficulty in establishing effective work and social relationships.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in work, family relations, judgment, and mood. The Board found that the criteria for a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD were met.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD. The Board also found that the Veteran engaged in combat during his service, which allows him to establish a stressor related to his PTSD diagnosis.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Buchanan General Hospital on November 21, 2006 was denied as the treatment did not meet the criteria for a medical emergency and no VA facility was feasibly available.