PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2011

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for both paranoid schizophrenia and PTSD, finding that there is no evidence to support a diagnosis of PTSD. The Veteran's symptoms are attributed to his pre-existing paranoid schizophrenia.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development of evidence, including obtaining missing service treatment records and VA/privately held medical records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is also being reviewed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records. The primary issues are his claim for an increased disability rating for PTSD, which could impact his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeal for increased disability evaluations for PTSD and hemorrhoids has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation for either condition.

The Veteran's PTSD has been characterized by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, due to symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, sleep disturbance, emotional numbness, anxiety, irritability, depression, and social avoidance. The Board finds that a 50% disability rating is warranted for the entire period of initial rating appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted due to the confirmation of a diagnosed condition and its link to wartime experiences.

Service connection for PTSD was granted with an effective date of September 5, 2007.,A 10 percent disability rating for left acromioclavicular separation was assigned with an effective date of December 13, 2004.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of his acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was granted. The current disability rating remains at 50 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for posttraumatic stress disorder, finding that his in-service allegations of harassment and rape were not credible and thus did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD was productive of no more than occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks, but generally functioning satisfactorily.

The Veteran's bilateral inguinal hernia, status post repair, was granted a noncompensable disability rating. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, was also granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, hepatitis B, and color blindness. The case is REMANDED to obtain VA treatment records, authorize private medical records, schedule a VA examination, and determine if there are any new or material pieces of evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a PTSD examination. The Veteran's claims of entitlement to an increased evaluation for PTSD and TDIU are inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD involved no more than occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks, warranting a 30 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected PTSD was denied. The RO granted a 30 percent initial evaluation, then revised it to 70 percent effective December 21, 2004, and further increased the rating to 70 percent effective September 1, 2006.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and the Board grants a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's permanent and total disability rating for PTSD was granted effective April 30, 2008. The appellant is not eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under Chapter 35 because he reached his 26th birthday before the effective date of the Veteran's eligibility.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's PTSD is related to his service, including considering the revised version of 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f) published July 13, 2010.

The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, including diagnosed schizophrenia and alleged PTSD, did not meet the diagnostic criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. The condition was neither incurred in nor aggravated by active military service or the proximate result of a service-connected disability.