PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The evidence submitted since the last denial relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claim and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for psychiatric disabilities and scars of the shoulders, requiring additional development including verification of a fire incident in service and examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected PTSD and disfiguring scar, as well as a TDIU. The issues of service connection for psychiatric disability other than PTSD were not addressed due to lack of merit.

The Veteran's PTSD was initially granted and rated at 10 percent prior to June 17, 2010. As of that date, the rating was increased to 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and posttraumatic stress disorder are being remanded due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records and issue a statement of the case regarding his PTSD claim and tinnitus rating.

The Veteran's PTSD disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board denied an evaluation in excess of this rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and PTSD have been denied. The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current conditions to his active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to allow for a videoconference hearing at the Columbia RO regarding his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death from metastatic gastric cancer.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for examinations to determine the severity of his PTSD and the etiology of his hypertension.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be incurred in active duty due to combat-related stressors, and the claim is granted.

The Veteran seeks service connection for PTSD, which is related to his military service. The Board finds that additional development is needed due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for updated treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied in 2004 and not reopened. The Veteran's PTSD with depression has been rated at 30% since November 12, 2007, and increased to 50% as of December 6, 2011.,The Veteran's PTSD symptoms include anxiety, daily panic attacks, nightmares, auditory and visual hallucinations, flashbacks, social isolation, suicidal ideation, and attempted violence.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a new examination and additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD was not shown to meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation prior to September 23, 2011.

The Board has ordered additional development of the Veteran's claim for service connection for an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. This includes obtaining VA treatment records and service personnel records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not meet the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD at any time during the appeal period. The Board also found that there was no evidence of a verified in-service stressor leading to PTSD, and concluded that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder is not related to active service.

The Veteran's initial schedular ratings for PTSD were granted, with a higher rating of 50 percent effective February 14, 2009. Service connection was also established for GERD and IBS secondary to PTSD.

The Board finds that the Veteran's cause of death, pneumonia due to or as a consequence of dementia, is not related to service-connected conditions. The appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of death based on PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD was initially rated at 30% prior to June 13, 2012. Since then, the rating has been increased to 70%, effective June 13, 2012.