PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's PTSD has resulted in total social and occupational impairment, leading to a finding of entitlement to an initial 100 percent disability evaluation.

The Veteran does not have a diagnosed acquired psychiatric disability, specifically claimed as PTSD. The Board finds that the service-connected meningitis did not cause or aggravate any acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, breast cancer due to radiation exposure, and osteopenia have been denied. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service disease or injury that resulted in the current conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to a lack of an examination assessing the Veteran's overall disability picture and its impact on his employability.

The Board determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed psychiatric disability, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's combined disability evaluation has been at least 60% since August 15, 2005, meeting the percentage criteria for a single disability rated as 60 percent or more. The Board granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD in June 1990, finding no supportable diagnosis of the disorder. The Veteran's motion argued that combat service established a presumption but did not change the outcome.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, diagnosed as depression, manifested in service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, and did not develop any gastrointestinal disorder in service or to a disabling degree within the first post-service year. The claims for these conditions were therefore denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board found that this rating adequately reflects his disability. For the period from March 31, 2004 to April 11, 2010, the Veteran's lumbar spine condition was rated at 20 percent; for the period after August 1, 2010, it was rated at 40 percent. The scars were not compensably rated. No TDIU rating was granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and SSA records, arranging a new examination, and clarifying representation status.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the issues of bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, vision loss, athlete's foot, stomach disorder, right shoulder disorder, and low back disorder has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's claim for higher initial ratings for PTSD prior to March 2, 2011 and since that date has been denied. The effective date for the award of service connection for PTSD remains May 6, 2008.

The Veteran is entitled to a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability prior to April 28, 2010 due to service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining or retaining substantial gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU was withdrawn. The claims for PTSD, disabilities of the feet, and bilateral knee disabilities were denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or service connection due to lack of verified stressors. Service connection for major depression was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated VA examination reports and additional medical records. The claims for an increased disability evaluation for PTSD and TDIU will also be addressed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is causally related to his service in Vietnam.,Regarding throat cancer, there is no current diagnosis of the condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain relevant medical records and for a VA examination to address his claims of service connection for various conditions.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and brain damage with memory loss are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing proper duty-to-assist notice.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for further development regarding his claimed stressors and combat experience.