PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be as likely as not attributable to his military service, especially to incidents that occurred while engaged in combat in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verifying in-service stressors and obtaining VA and private treatment records. The Veteran is also to be examined by a psychiatrist to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disorder is related to his service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by anxiety, depression, sleep impairment, hypervigilance, and some anger problems. The Board finds that the criteria for an initial 30 percent rating are met from March 13, 2003.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, the highest schedular rating available. The evidence shows significant impairment in social and occupational functioning.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, reflecting reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect, circumstantial speech, difficulty understanding complex commands, impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty establishing effective work and social relationships.

The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD effective June 26, 2007 and an increased rating of 50 percent for PTSD effective October 15, 2007. The Veteran's claim for prostate cancer was granted with an effective date of June 9, 2005.

The Board found that the appellant did not engage in combat with the enemy and there is no credible, verifying evidence of his alleged stressors. Therefore, service connection for PTSD was denied.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD with anxiety and depression, and residuals of a concussion were denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by symptoms such as near-continuous panic and depression, impaired impulse control, obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities, and deficiencies in judgment, family relations, and mood. The Board finds that the criteria for a 70 percent rating have been met.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, which meets the criteria for a higher initial rating. However, no permanent total disability rating has been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to attend a scheduled hearing and because he is homeless. The RO must schedule a new hearing before a Veterans Law Judge and provide copies of all correspondence to the VA facility where the Veteran receives medical care, in addition to mailing a copy to the most recent address of record.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and Peripheral Neuropathy of the Upper Extremities, finding no current diagnosis of PTSD and noting conflicting evidence regarding the upper extremities.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Veteran's effective date for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD was granted as of December 9, 2008. The appeal regarding service connection for jungle rot of the feet resulted in a finding of clear and unmistakable error.

The VA medical opinion found that the Veteran's death was due to carbon monoxide poisoning, not related to his service-connected conditions. The appellant's argument that her husband died from a fire caused by his inability to escape due to his disabilities or that his diabetes mellitus caused his strokes is not supported.

The Board has determined that the appellant's PTSD and GERD are service-connected, with the stressor related to an attempted sexual assault during his time in Germany.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be incurred in service, and the claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The skin disorder claim is denied as new and material evidence has not been received.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as there is no verified in-service stressor. The claim for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was also denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder and an increased rating for PTSD. The Veteran was granted service connection for PTSD, initially evaluated as 10 percent disabling.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since May 2003. The Board finds that a higher rating of 100 percent is warranted due to the severity and frequency of his symptoms resulting in total social and occupational impairment.