PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for psychiatric disability. The Veteran is entitled to a VA examination to determine if his current diagnoses are related to his in-service duties, including working as an instructor in an intelligence school in Okinawa.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for PTSD has been withdrawn, and he is satisfied with the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's PTSD was granted with a 30 percent initial evaluation, effective November 7, 2008. The appeal is for higher ratings.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and bipolar disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his attorney, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent effective from November 4, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorder that is service-connected. The VA examiner found no evidence of a nexus between his current psychiatric symptoms and military service.

The Veteran's symptoms of PTSD with depression most closely approximate occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, due to such symptoms as suicidal ideation; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with period of violence); difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances; and an inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.

The Veteran's diagnosed PTSD is at least as likely as not related to service, and the Board grants service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol abuse was manifested by no more than persistent, chronic, mild symptoms during the period from July 31, 2003 through April 9, 2007. The most probative evidence showed occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are consistent with a 50% disability rating.

The Veteran's service connection claims for arthralgia of the skeletal joints, myalgia, gastrointesintal disability (claimed as a stomach disorder), and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine have been granted. The Veteran's psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression) has also been granted. An increased rating for his low back disability is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70% disabling, effective February 25, 2008. The claim for service connection for hemorrhoids has been reopened.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since May 5, 2008.,Prior to that date, the Veteran was previously rated at 50 percent for his PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be causally related to his in-service military stressors, and he has Persian Gulf Syndrome that is service-connected.

The Board finds that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, or skin basal cell carcinoma of the forehead. The preponderance of the evidence is against these claims.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for PTSD with anxiety and depression is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current PTSD and depression are related to his military service, including a confirmed in-service stressor involving an improvised explosive device (IED) while on patrol in June 2005. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not engage in combat and therefore cannot establish service connection for PTSD based on a verified stressor. The claim is denied.