PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for further examination and development of his psychiatric disability claims, including PTSD.

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

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is characterized by sleep impairment, nightmares, anxiety, depression, and a blunted affect prior to October 20, 2008. The evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder, NOS has been rated at 30 percent prior to December 9, 2011 and granted a TDIU rating effective from December 9, 2011.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 100% since July 27, 2004. As a result, his claim for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is moot.

The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates was denied as his application for benefits was received by VA on January 18, 2007, which is the date he contacted the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) office. The one-year deadline for filing a claim after separation from service has expired.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of increased ratings for PTSD, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and service connection for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's PTSD was manifested by occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks, resulting in a 30 percent initial disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD is denied as there was no formal or informal claim filed prior to October 26, 2007.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disability, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Veteran's claim was previously denied due to the failure to consider other psychiatric disabilities. Additional evidence may be submitted.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking any service-connected disability to his fatal recurrent urinary tract infection. The appellant's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate, thus denying her nonservice-connected death pension benefits.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 28, 2004, for the award of service connection for PTSD with alcohol dependence was granted. The issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with alcohol dependence is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's claims for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Dysthymia were denied, but the claim for Dysthymia was granted as it is a direct service connection case. There is no evidence of exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation or Gulf War conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is not shown to meet the criteria for a higher initial disability rating, and his claim for loss of use of the right foot was denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, but has found that a VA psychiatric examination is needed to determine if any current acquired psychiatric disability (including depressive disorder) may be related to service. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated psychiatric treatment records and ensuring that all relevant VA medical records are of record.

The Veteran's psychiatric symptoms resulted in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks from September 28, 2009 to February 8, 2010. The VA examinations did not find the Veteran's symptoms severe enough to warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further consideration, including an extraschedular evaluation and readjudication of all evidence received since the last SSOC.