PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination by a psychiatrist to determine the nature and extent of any current psychiatric disabilities and whether they are related to service or preexisting conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD was productive of occupational and social impairment with an occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, warranting a 30 percent rating since January 8, 2009.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since May 7, 2010, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent since December 24, 2009. Prior to that date, the rating was 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not render him unemployable prior to October 2, 2009.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claim will be re-adjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's PTSD results in significant occupational and social impairment, warranting a 70 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a new VA examination. The case will be returned to the Board for further appellate consideration.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted and rated at 30 percent prior to April 7, 2009. Since then, the rating has been increased to 50 percent effective April 7, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and readjudicating the claims.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted, and he was initially awarded a compensable rating for GERD from July 8, 2004 to January 31, 2010. For the period from February 1, 2010, his GERD disability warrants a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to determine the etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and TDIU have been withdrawn, as he is satisfied with the RO's decision.

The Board finds that the appellant's current bilateral hip disability, including trochanteric bursitis with degenerative changes, is as likely as not causally related to his service-connected bilateral knee, ankle, and foot disabilities. Service connection for a bilateral hip disability is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD and other disabilities, finding that he did not file a claim within one year of his discharge from active duty. The RO granted service connection retroactively to November 27, 2007.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his experiences in service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran seeks a higher rating for his service-connected PTSD, which is currently rated at 50 percent. The Board has ordered further development to obtain all pertinent VA treatment records and schedule the Veteran for a psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated VA examination(s) and SSA records, as well as any other relevant treatment records. The Veteran will be scheduled for an updated VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected PTSD with depression and the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD with depression, including anxiety.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The deformed right shoulder humeral head with recurrent dislocation claim was not granted, while the PTSD claim resulted in a 50% rating but no higher.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, has been granted. The Board also found that the Veteran's condition of 'falling down,' to include vertigo, is related to his in-service machete wound and is a separate issue from his PTSD.