PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that the Veteran's June 21, 2006 emergency treatment at a private medical facility was authorized by VA and constituted an urgent situation. As such, the criteria for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses have been met.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues related to service connection, increased rating for PTSD, and earlier effective date for traumatic brain injury.

The Veteran's appeal was timely filed, but the criteria for establishing entitlement to vocational rehabilitation benefits pursuant to Chapter 31 of Title 38, United States Code, have not been met.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have PTSD and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and further development is needed, including a handwriting analysis of the purported letter from [redacted].

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is associated with a verified in-service stressor and grants service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to the RO for additional action, including a VA examination and readjudication of his claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disorder and PTSD are not service-connected, but his PTSD is currently rated at 50%.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to an in-service stressor and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since November 2, 2009. This rating reflects significant impairment in social and occupational functioning.

The Board has determined that the Veteran had no service-connected disabilities at the time of his death, and thus does not meet the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis, high cholesterol, hypertension, and elevated eye pressure to include glaucoma were denied. The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II was granted with a rating of 20%. His claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was also granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by total social and occupational impairment, warranting a 100 percent disability rating effective from July 25, 2003.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to new and material evidence. However, the claim will be remanded for further development including verifying in-service stressors and obtaining a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated at the maximum schedular rating of 50 percent, and there is no evidence that he has gotten better in terms of his symptoms since the last examination. The Board finds another VA psychiatric examination necessary to determine the current severity of his PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to lack of evidence linking any current disability to service. The Veteran was not found to have engaged in combat with the enemy and his statements about stressors were insufficient to establish their occurrence.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted an initial rating of 10 percent from March 2, 2006 and increased to 30 percent effective July 27, 2009. The Veteran's shell fragment wound residuals were rated at 20 percent, with the scar as a residual rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal involves claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date for TDIU, as well as service connection for defective vision and a borderline personality disorder. The case must be remanded to allow the RO to provide proper VCAA notice, obtain Social Security Administration records if applicable, and readjudicate all issues.