PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as his diagnosis of PTSD is related to his in-service stressors, which include fear of hostile military activity during his tour in Vietnam.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, but the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they do not meet the criteria for total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a PTSD examination. The issues of entitlement to an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are also being addressed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder was reopened and granted. The effective date of the award remains pending.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently manifested by sleep disturbances, nightmares, irritability, angry outbursts, exaggerated startle response, suicidal ideation, hypervigilance, and depression, causing moderate social and occupational impairment. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have PTSD or an acquired psychiatric disorder related to service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating higher than 50 percent for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of his employment status.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder, left eye disorder, and PTSD. The Veteran's claims were reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, and increased ratings for his left rectus femoris disability and left plantar fasciitis were denied. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the diagnostic criteria for service-related PTSD and therefore, service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to his recent deployment and the need for a Board hearing. The issue remains whether he can establish service connection for PTSD and bipolar disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete actions and new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant records from various sources.

The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric and right knee disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The acquired psychiatric disorder was not related to his period of active service, nor is it etiologically linked to any incident during service. Similarly, there is no evidence linking the right knee disability to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied, except for the left knee instability claim which was granted. The right flank disability remains at a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to determine if he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities prior to and after March 30, 2011. The RO will consider whether the Veteran can secure and follow substantially gainful employment given all of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the appellant's claims for service connection for cause of death and DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to insufficient medical evidence on causation, and failure to issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) addressing both issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no evidence to support the claimed disabilities or their relationship to service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by symptoms such as panic attacks, memory impairment, and disturbances of motivation and mood. The Board finds that the manifestations most nearly approximate a 50 percent disability rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is granted and assigned a 10 percent disability rating effective December 18, 2007. The Veteran's SFWs are not considered compensable.