PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 100% since April 4, 2001. The effective date for TDIU was granted on June 7, 1999.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination if needed. The effective date of the TDIU rating will be considered after resolving the issues related to PTSD ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's reported stressors, including exposure to rocket and mortar fire during his service in Vietnam, are sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD. As such, the Veteran is granted service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder has been manifested by occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks, warranting a rating of 30 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a new VA examination to assess his current level of PTSD severity.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, the highest available rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Board also granted service connection for a right ankle disorder and a psychiatric disorder (PTSD with major depressive disorder), both secondary to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, PTSD, and anxiety, remains unresolved.

The VA determined that the Veteran does not have PTSD as a result of military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder/PTSD. The evidence shows that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military experiences in Vietnam.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability resulted in a 40 percent evaluation, effective September 1, 2010. The right leg and left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with the lumbar spine disability were each rated at 10 percent prior to September 1, 2010.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, reflecting occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since March 25, 2003 and is now rated at 70 percent from March 20, 2012. The Veteran was granted TDIU effective March 20, 2012.,The Veteran's PTSD has not met the criteria for a higher rating prior to March 20, 2012 and is rated at 50 percent from that date.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including anxiety, depression, and PTSD as the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam or Southwest Asia. The stressors reported were not credible, and there was no evidence of a nexus between current symptoms and service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a new VA mental disorders examination to address the service connection claim for psychiatric disorder, which may include PTSD. The TDIU claim will be deferred until this development is completed.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and remanded it to the RO. The Veteran's service in a location involving exposure to hostile military activity is sufficient to reopen the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being remanded due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, scheduling a PTSD examination, and considering the issue of entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a verified in-service stressor for PTSD and therefore cannot establish service connection. The acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service event, injury or illness that would support such a diagnosis. For erectile dysfunction (ED), the claim was also denied as it is not related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA psychiatric examination and obtaining additional evidence. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is now before the RO/AMC for reconsideration.