PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and thus no effective date is assigned as the claim has been rendered moot.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding her claimed conditions and theories of service connection.

The Veteran's onychomycosis of the feet is found to be a complication of his service-connected diabetes mellitus and thus, service connection for that disorder is granted.

The Board has vacated the October 1, 2008 decision denying an effective date prior to December 15, 1993 for PTSD with panic disorder and obsessive compulsive features due to a failure to apply the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.156(c).

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 100 percent since July 14, 2004 and the Board has granted a TDIU throughout the rating period on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the Veteran's reported stressor event occurred and to obtain any necessary treatment records. The Veteran is also requested to provide more specific information about his claimed stressor.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected PTSD has been dismissed as the appellant (through his authorized representative) has withdrawn the appeal.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and entitlement to an increased evaluation for service-connected PTSD, evaluated 30 percent disabling prior to March 30, 2012, and 50 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and PTSD, is currently rated at 30 percent. The VA examiner found no evidence of occupational or social impairment warranting a higher rating.

The Board has found sufficient evidence to grant service connection for PTSD and MDD, with the diagnosis being presumed due to combat-related stressors. The Veteran's symptoms are consistent with the criteria for these diagnoses.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 9411. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's symptoms met criteria for a 70 percent disability rating but noted that he did not meet all of the criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of his TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that a new VA psychiatric examination is necessary due to the Veteran's reported PTSD symptoms becoming more severe in the past four years, and also because of his contentions regarding alcohol dependence and compulsive gambling. The case is REMANDED for these actions.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder is rated at 50 percent, effective February 2009. The Board has determined that the disability picture warrants a higher rating of 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including a VA examination to evaluate the Veteran's PTSD and alcohol abuse, as well as his employability.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder, is granted as service connected due to in-service stressors.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and consideration of whether he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depressive disorder and alcohol abuse is currently rated at 50 percent since March 22, 2012. Prior to that date, the rating was 30 percent. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher initial rating for either period.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, the maximum schedular rating available for this condition.