PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA psychiatric examination, and considering the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD due to personal trauma.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and GERD were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to military service.

The case is being remanded to the RO for further action, including scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Veteran's PTSD was found to have resulted in reduced reliability and productivity, with symptoms such as flattened affect, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty establishing effective relationships, depressed mood, anxiety, and chronic sleep impairment. The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for malaria was denied as there is no confirmed diagnosis of the condition during his military service. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of current malaria. Regarding PTSD, the Veteran has been diagnosed with PTSD and two of his reported stressors have met the DSM-IV criteria.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since September 22, 2009. The current rating reflects the Veteran's symptoms of depression, anxiety, difficulty controlling anger, irritability, insomnia with nightmares, hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts and memories, occasional panic attacks, social avoidance, and some difficulty with short term memory.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors are supported by credible evidence and his current PTSD diagnosis is related to these events. The left knee disability was not incurred during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete records and procedural issues, including the need for additional development of his claims file and scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU remains pending and is being remanded.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, are related to his service in the military. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an increased rating for urethritis prior to November 2, 2009 were both denied by the Board.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining official records of the incident and a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his PTSD and hepatitis C.

The Veteran's appeal was withdrawn regarding the issue of entitlement to service connection for a heart disability. The Board denied claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss disability, and lordosis of the thoracic spine as there is no verified in-service stressor or credible supporting evidence that the claimed events occurred.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for PTSD was dismissed because it was not timely filed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone render him unable to care for most of his daily personal needs or to protect himself from the hazards and dangers incident to his daily environment without the assistance of others, warranting special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including neurological disabilities of the extremities, vertigo, spontaneous fevers and chills, sleep apnea, hypertension, headaches, skin rash condition, and malignant melanoma, were denied as there is no competent medical or credible lay evidence to support these claims. The appeal does not involve service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD was manifested by occasional acute dreams and thoughts related to his service in Vietnam, low irritability threshold, sleep impairment, a history of occupational instability, and GAF scores of 70. The Veteran was employed but had difficulty managing anger and avoiding work due to psychiatric issues.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for sleep apnea, which he believes was caused or made worse by his service-connected PTSD. The Board has ordered additional development to address the relationship between these conditions and to obtain updated medical records.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent disabling since July 29, 2009. The rating reflects significant impairment in social and occupational functioning.