PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and clarification of his claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the cause and aggravation of his conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's reported in-service stressors are related to his fear of hostile military activity and have been found consistent with the places, types, and circumstances of his service. The VA psychologist diagnosed the Veteran with PTSD based on these reported stressors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury that would support the claims. The dental and eye conditions are not considered compensable under VA regulations.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling, effective March 11, 2003. The Board finds that the evidence supports a higher rating than what was initially assigned.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development, including verifying stressor events and obtaining service personnel records. The VA will also schedule examinations to address the etiology of his acquired psychiatric disability and hepatitis C.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and attempting to corroborate a claimed stressor. The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and compression fracture injury to the lumbar spine are pending.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's in-service stressors are related to his fear associated with exposure to hostile forces during service in southeast Asia and that he has been diagnosed as having PTSD due to these experiences.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, specifically PTSD and a mood disorder not otherwise specified (NOS), has been productive of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency due to symptoms such as depression, sleep impairment, concentration issues, and mild memory impairment. The current 30 percent rating is appropriate given the level of impairment.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent disability rating, effective from the date of this decision.

The Veteran's PTSD, rated at 70 percent disabling since June 11, 2007, renders him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's inability to appear for a previously scheduled hearing and requests for rescheduling. The claims are now pending before the RO.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since February 6, 2006, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depressive disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating of 50 percent is warranted due to moderate social and occupational impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, but denied service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders and periodontal disease. The decision is mixed as it grants one claim and denies two.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be incurred in service, while his other psychiatric disorder does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to ensure compliance with applicable law and regulations, including obtaining private treatment records, verifying military sexual trauma allegations, and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that the Appellant does not have a current psychiatric disability due to service and thus cannot establish service connection. The claim for pension benefits is also denied as the Appellant does not meet the basic eligibility requirements for Veterans.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since the March 2007 rating decision, reflecting occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in a number of areas.

The Veteran's PTSD was initially granted and assigned a noncompensable rating. From December 9, 2010, the Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent.