PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional private treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO in Cheyenne, Wyoming for scheduling a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The issue remains unresolved and will be reconsidered after the hearing.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted based on his reported in-service stressors and the diagnosis of PTSD by VA psychiatrists.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine and acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, depression, and anxiety (panic), are at least as likely as not related to his military service. The Veteran was exposed to combat in Iraq, which is sufficient evidence for service connection under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1154(b).

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has granted a 70 percent rating. The issues of increased evaluations for his other service-connected conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is productive of symptoms such as a depressed mood, anxiety, sleep difficulties including nightmares, flashbacks, memory difficulties, and irritability, resulting in moderate occupational and social impairment. The Board finds that the criteria for an increased rating of 50 percent have been met.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD and found that new evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD related to in-service stressors, including fear of hostile military activity. The Veteran's symptoms are linked to his reported experiences during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of her service-connected PTSD since her separation from service in July 2007. The RO/AMC must also obtain her medical records from the Biloxi VA Medical Center.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder has been rated at 30 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks due to depressed mood, chronic anxiety, suspiciousness, and chronic sleep impairment along with social isolation.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and verifying the Veteran's current address. The Veteran will have an opportunity to appear at a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Veteran seeks service connection for various psychiatric conditions, an ulcer, and hemorrhoids. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain Social Security Administration records, arrange for a VA examination, and readjudicate the claims.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by significant, but not total, social and occupational impairment. The Board finds that a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's PTSD is warranted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The claim for reopening of his headache claim was also denied.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder was manifested by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas from October 15, 2003 to November 19, 2008.,From October 15, 2003 to November 19, 2008, the Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder was rated at 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an examination and consideration of the applicability of new regulations regarding service connection for PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that he does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD under the DSM-IV and that his symptoms do not align with the specific diagnostic criteria required for a PTSD diagnosis.

The Veteran's PTSD was initially rated as noncompensable, but has since been increased to 30 percent for the initial claim period and to 50 percent for the appeal period beginning September 17, 2008.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and Bipolar Disorder, are at least as likely as not related to his military service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from May 19, 2008 to June 10, 2010 due to his service-connected PTSD preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.