PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current PTSD is related to his in-service stressors, and thus service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining medical records.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD was granted, with the effective date set at March 31, 2000. The claim for service connection for depression secondary to back pain was denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated at 50 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from Fort Snelling Mental Hygiene Clinic and providing a VA psychiatric examination to determine if any current acquired psychiatric disorder is related to active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a change in the hearing officer and the Veteran's request for a Travel Board hearing.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated at the 50 percent rating, which reflects occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as anger, depression, sleep disturbance, isolation behaviors, hypervigilance, startle response, impaired short-term memory, occasional flashbacks, suicidal thoughts without plans, intrusive recollections, and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores ranging from 50-72.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone is of such severity as to preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to an in-service stressor and service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing at the RO in Portland, Oregon. The issues of service connection for PTSD, sexual dysfunction secondary to PTSD, and sleep disorder secondary to PTSD are still pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for nasal polyps, bilateral pes cavus, left eye convergence disorder, groin rash, right index finger laceration, and laceration of the knuckle of the right hand. The acquired psychiatric disorder claim was expanded to include PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder more closely approximates the criteria for a 70 percent rating, warranting a grant of service connection at this higher level. The issue of entitlement to TDIU remains pending.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of a stress fracture of the left lower tibia is granted. The Board finds that she suffers from current residuals of this in-service injury.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of PTSD and lumbosacral strain, as well as his service connection claim for deviated septum, are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD based on an in-service stressor related to fear of hostile military activity.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has resulted in total occupational and social impairment since April 5, 2005.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation for his service-connected gout, as there is no current diagnosis of gout or associated symptoms. The Veteran's arthritis of multiple joints and right shoulder osteoarthritis are found to be related to active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder must be remanded due to inconsistencies in the evidence and need for expert guidance. The case is being returned to the RO/AMC for further development, including a VA psychiatric examination by a panel of three Board-certified psychiatrists.

The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and a disorder characterized by memory loss. The case is being remanded to obtain additional records from the Veteran's service department and his private physician.