PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's PTSD has resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiency in most areas, including work, family relations, and mood, due to symptoms including suicidal ideation, difficulty in adapting to settings outside the home, and inability to establish effective relationships. The RO granted a disability rating of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD was characterized by symptoms such as intrusive memories, flashbacks, mood swings, anxiety, depression, and difficulty with concentration. The VA examiner found the Veteran had reduced reliability and productivity due to her PTSD symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for further development, including verification of stressors and a VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran is unable to find or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, with the exception of October 12, 2010 when he received a 100% rating. The issue is now moot after that date.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for PTSD prior to April 12, 2010 and denied any higher ratings. The Veteran's symptoms have been consistent with those that warrant a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and military police records. If a verified stressor of assault in service is found, the Veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination to determine if PTSD is causally related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for SMC benefits based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status was denied as his service-connected PTSD does not meet the criteria for either benefit.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD with depression, duodenal ulcer, coronary atherosclerosis, scar from bypass surgery, diabetes mellitus type II with impotence, and associated peripheral neuropathy, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted TDIU based on the combined effect of these service-connected conditions.

Service connection for PTSD is granted.,Service connection for a low back condition is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD symptomatology, including flattened affect, sleep impairment with nightmares and flashbacks, suicidal ideations, impaired impulse control, neglect of personal appearance and hygiene, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, particularly in a worklike setting, and inability to establish effective relationships due to severe isolative tendencies, warrants a 70 percent evaluation beginning April 10, 2008.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred on May 26, 2010, at Capital for a headache following a CT myelogram are approved as the condition was of such severity that delay in seeking immediate medical attention would have been hazardous to life or health.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection for PTSD, a sleep disorder, and residuals of a neck and back injury. The Board does not have jurisdiction to consider these matters as the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has determined that a new examination is necessary to evaluate the severity of the Veteran's service-connected scar and other residuals of splinter puncture wound to the left thigh. The case is also remanded for additional development regarding the issues of entitlement to service connection, whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims, and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a service-connected disability for any of the conditions she claims, including PTSD, hiatal hernia, hypertension, burn scar on the right middle finger, sleep disorder, hordeolum of the right eyelid, arthritis of the cervical spine, arthritis of the knees, arthritis of the feet, arthritis of the hands, arthritis of the wrists, arthritis of the elbows, and arthritis of the right shoulder.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development, including another VA psychiatric examination and notification of secondary service connection requirements.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder is manifested by severe symptoms causing occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent evaluation.

The Veteran is found to have been precluded from performing all appropriate forms of substantially gainful employment by reason of service-connected disability beginning on January 31, 2005, but not prior thereto.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 100 percent since May 1, 2006, due to total occupational and social impairment. The claim for TDIU is moot as the PTSD rating already grants a full disability evaluation.

The Veteran's PTSD was not shown to have been manifested by total occupational and social impairment during the period from June 16, 2005 to March 4, 2007. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a 100 percent evaluation.