PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, skin cancer, impaired glucose tolerance and/or diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and back injury were all granted. The Veteran was assigned a 100% disability rating for PTSD from November 26, 2007 to January 26, 2009, and a greater than 50% rating thereafter.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is at least partly attributable to unfortunate events that occurred during her military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for right foot symptomatic dorsal callosities was granted, with a temporary total evaluation based upon surgical or other treatment necessitating convalescence from October 14, 2009 to December 1, 2010. A 10 percent rating was then assigned, effective December 1, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Veteran was not granted staged evaluations or higher disability ratings.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and employment records. The case will be readjudicated after the development.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, which reflects the severity of symptoms such as irritability, loss of energy, difficulty interacting with others, poor concentration, explosive anger, and hypervigilance. The disability results in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity but does not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran seeks service connection for PTSD and other psychiatric disorders. The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional medical records, conduct a VA examination, and determine whether any diagnosed conditions are related to his active service.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for PTSD with dysthymia and tinnitus, both related to his military service.,A VA compensation examination is needed to reassess the severity of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling a videoconference hearing at the RO due to the Veteran's request. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen service connection for vertigo and entitlement to service connection for PTSD are now pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are denied as there is no evidence showing a claim was filed prior to April 24, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations and the provision of relevant medical records. The issues include service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD and a compensable disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as the claim for an increased evaluation of her panic disorder and PTSD was not granted.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination assessing the combined impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's appeal seeking a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) has been granted, effective from January 1, 2005. The issue of an earlier effective date for the TDIU rating is being remanded.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant's authorized representative before a decision could be made.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the other service-connected conditions do not warrant higher ratings. The appeal for increased ratings has been denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining more information about an incident involving a lieutenant commander during service and determining whether any preexisting psychiatric disability was aggravated by military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to her military service, and she meets the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. Therefore, service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for verification of his claimed stressors and a VA examination. The claim will be adjudicated with consideration of the amended regulation regarding circumstances in which lay testimony alone may establish the occurrence of the claimed in-service stressor.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain the Veteran's complete Mayo Clinic medical treatment records, including psychiatric records from 1966 to August 2000 and after April 2006. The case is then remanded for a new examination if any new mental health medical records are received.