PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted effective December 17, 2008. The effective date of the grant is set at November 15, 1996.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to the RO for consideration of entitlement to a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to January 14, 2009. The case will be referred to VA's Director of Compensation and Pension (C&P) for this determination.

The Board has determined that additional development of the evidence is required to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. This includes a new VA psychiatric examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA examination to determine his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected PTSD, and for the printing of Social Security Administration records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted, as his reported combat experiences in Vietnam are consistent with the circumstances of his service and sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that his symptoms warrant a higher rating of 50 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and SSA records, scheduling a mental health examination, and ensuring all relevant evidence is considered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, are at least as likely as not related to her military service due to aggravation of a pre-existing personality disorder during active duty.

The Veteran's death was caused by ischemic cardiomyopathy and valvular heart disease, which the private cardiologist opined were related to his service-connected PTSD. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, due to a lack of credible supporting evidence corroborating in-service stressors.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and PTSD due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service stressor or a link between current symptoms and the claimed events. The Veteran's testimony about his experiences was found not credible, and there is no clear and convincing evidence to rebut it.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, sleep apnea, left knee disability, right knee degenerative joint disease, and diabetes mellitus type II, preclude him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD, with alcohol abuse as a manifestation, results in significant impairment in most areas of social and occupational functioning. The Veteran exhibits aggression, intrusive thoughts, panic, and some problems in concentration and memory that are helped with medication. He is not psychotic, able to groom himself, and has shown improvement with medical intervention.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim due to insufficient reasoning in the VA examiner's opinion and additional evidence received since the last consideration of his claim.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent prior to December 3, 2009 and 70 percent from that date. The appeal is denied as the criteria for higher ratings were not met.

The Veteran's PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were all found to be related to her service. The Board granted the Veteran's claims for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to procedural defects and need for additional evidence. The case will be readjudicated after all requested development is completed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and an evaluation of whether he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to February 24, 2010 did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent.,From February 24, 2010, the Veteran's PTSD did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 50 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at the maximum disability rating of 100 percent, reflecting total occupational and social impairment due to symptoms such as flattened affect, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, impaired judgment, and disturbances of motivation and mood. The right ankle disability is rated at 20 percent.