PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2011

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The issue of whether PTSD is related to active service remains pending and will be addressed in a separate remand.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a psychiatric examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since the March 2007 rating decision, and TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, left scapula shrapnel injury, superficial scars, and TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no jurisdiction remains for further consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is service-connected, as it was incurred during his active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted, as his in-service sexual assaults exacerbated and contributed to his current symptoms.

The Veteran's PTSD and Major Depression are found to have onset during service, with the PTSD being aggravated by events related to his military service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder effective no later than February 9, 1987 and will now assign the appropriate disability rating or ratings for this period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression and anxiety, is being remanded due to the need for further development regarding his in-service stressor.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and conflicting opinions about the Veteran's diagnoses and their relationship to service. A new VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has PTSD related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, the maximum schedular rating for this condition. The Board denied his claim for an increased evaluation as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Veteran's death was caused by acute and chronic alcoholism, which is a symptom of his service-connected PTSD. The Board finds that the Veteran's death meets the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD results in social isolation, a depressed mode, and heightened anger and irritability. The Board finds that the disability does not warrant a rating higher than 50 percent.

The Board has ordered another remand due to the need for additional development, including obtaining in-service mental health clinic records and VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered based on this new information.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective January 18, 2006. The grant of a 100 percent rating for PTSD renders moot the appeal for a TDIU prior to June 9, 2010. The Veteran's SMC claim was granted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's cause of death was not caused by a service-connected condition or an event reasonably foreseeable in VA care, and thus does not meet the criteria for service connection under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, as his stressors could not be verified and were not consistent with the circumstances of his service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found that the evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the Veteran's claim.,The Veteran's loss of teeth is not considered service-connected for purposes of eligibility for dental treatment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and a need for further clarification of his intent regarding potential pension benefits. The claims on appeal will be reconsidered after obtaining additional medical records, verifying stressors for PTSD, and considering SSA disability benefit records.