PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has ordered a remand to determine if his disability warrants an increased rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus has been denied. The evidence does not establish current disabilities in these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for PTSD and whether any other currently diagnosed psychiatric disability had its onset in service or is related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD warrants a 30 percent disability rating, effective from the date of initial service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for depression has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for arthritis has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for hair loss has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence regarding the occurrence of in-service stressors and the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since May 15, 2006. Throughout the rating period on appeal, his symptoms have not met the criteria for a higher initial evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and depression, is due to his willful misconduct during service.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is associated with an inservice stressor related to fear of hostile military activity, and the Board finds that service connection for PTSD is warranted.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD and TDIU is being remanded due to the need for issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC) addressing these issues.

The Board has determined that there is no competent diagnosis of PTSD. The Veteran's psychiatric diagnoses include depression and anxiety disorders, but not PTSD.

The Veteran's hypertension is found to be causally related to active duty service and granted service connection. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, and the Board finds that these conditions alone render him unemployable.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia and PTSD. The issue is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to provide a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a failure to request certain documents related to a Merchant Marine Physical Examination report signed by a VA physician in June 2009.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if any current acquired psychiatric disorder is due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's claim of service connection for an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and depression, will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted, as his lay testimony concerning fear of hostile military activity is consistent with the places, types and circumstances of his service in Vietnam. VA psychiatrists have found such stressors sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD and related his current symptoms to these stressors.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by significant impairment in social and occupational functioning, warranting a 50 percent disability rating.