PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the Veteran's eligibility for service connection for PTSD and other mental disorders, including depression. The case will be returned to the RO for this purpose.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing due to the appellant's request.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since the initial grant of service connection, reflecting significant impairment in social and occupational functioning.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for PTSD, finding that no new and material evidence has been received since the March 1998 rating decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of his PTSD and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, as well as an opinion on whether his service-connected disabilities combine to make him unemployable.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board found that this rating adequately reflects his disability. The TDIU claim was also denied as his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent effective June 21, 2006, due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for stressor verification from the U.S. Army and Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC).

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, the highest available rating for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is due to a verified stressor during his period of service, and therefore grants service connection for PTSD.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, generalized anxiety with depression, and alcoholism. The Veteran's claims are granted.

The Veteran's PTSD was previously rated at 30 percent, and the Board has now granted a 50 percent rating effective from November 19, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a current evaluation of his disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and verifying the Veteran's claimed stressors in Vietnam. The Veteran is seeking service connection for PTSD.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, as his reported stressors have not been verified and he did not engage in combat. As such, the preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that his current symptoms are causally related to his active service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD. The Veteran is found to have a current diagnosis of PTSD, which is causally linked to an in-service stressor event of mortar attacks while stationed at Phan Rang Air Force Base in Vietnam. Therefore, service connection for PTSD with depression is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is for an increased rating for his PTSD, which was previously rated at 70 percent. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the current nature and extent of impairment attributable to PTSD and its impact on employment.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since July 18, 2008. The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a PTSD examination. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after all requested actions are completed.