PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as it is at least as likely as not related to his military service, specifically the exposure to enemy fire and witnessing of a soldier committing suicide in Vietnam.

The Veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent disability rating.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's in-service experiences during his active duty service on an aircraft carrier in Vietnam are sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board found no evidence of prostate cancer and denied service connection for it. The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50% but the claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's hearing loss and back disability were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found no evidence of aggravation during service, and the earliest post-service evidence of hearing loss was over 40 years after discharge.

The Veteran's right buttock scar, which measures 2 square centimeters and is occasionally painful with no adherence to underlying tissue or ulceration, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 10 percent under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claims of service connection for allergic rhinitis, left calcaneal spurs, and an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD are not supported by the evidence. The competent medical evidence does not show a link between these conditions and active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including scoliosis, a low back disability, bilateral foot and leg disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, migraines, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The decision found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining recent VA treatment records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to assess the current severity of his PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD based on a verified in-service stressor involving the apprehension of a Vietnamese suspect, which is considered adequate to support a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not file a claim prior to March 29, 2002, when he received his original service connection award. His right hand/finger injury and PTSD with depression, bipolar features, anxiety and nervousness have been granted effective from March 29, 2002.

The Veteran's service connection claims for psychiatric disability, including PTSD, and heart disease, including ischemic heart disease, were denied as there was no credible evidence of an in-service stressor sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD. The Board also found that the current heart disorder is not related to service or any service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the current record does not contain sufficient evidence to substantiate the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD based on an in-service personal assault. The case is being remanded for further development, including a medical examination and opinion regarding the occurrence of the alleged stressor.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining SSA records and VA/privately held treatment records.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a bilateral shoulder disability, and a right wrist disability due to new evidence received since May 2007. The claim is granted.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical opinions and records in order to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to service, including her personal assault during service. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent prior to October 1, 2010 and increased to 30 percent as of that date. Service connection for lumbar spine degenerative changes and actinic keratosis were granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder and depression, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his claims file.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent from August 17, 2004 to April 5, 2007. The Board granted a higher evaluation of 70 percent for this period and denied the claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent prior to July 14, 2011 and increased to 50 percent thereafter. The Board finds that the criteria for a 70 percent rating are met for the entire evaluation period.