PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA psychiatric examination and social and industrial survey to assess the Veteran's PTSD and employment capacity. The appeal is also referred for consideration of TDIU benefits.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and herpes simplex, finding that the Veteran's conditions were not incurred or aggravated during her military service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD was denied, but his secondary service connection claim for alcohol dependence as related to PTSD was granted. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent from June 2, 2004 through September 20, 2007. The rating remained unchanged after this period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to November 13, 2012.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD or other psychiatric disorders, and there is no evidence linking these conditions to service. For bilateral hearing loss, while the Veteran reports symptoms related to military service, the VA examinations did not find any current disability meeting VA's definition for hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to November 30, 2010 and denied his claim for increased rating thereafter.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is incurred in service due to a personal assault, and thus grants service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks due to symptoms such as depression, anxiety, avoidance of new people and situations, sleep troubles, and intrusive thoughts. The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and scheduling a Veteran for a Videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, and impairment of short and long-term memory.

The Board found that the Veteran's reported stressors, including witnessing his friend get shot and run over by a tank, could not be corroborated. As such, the criteria for service connection for PTSD have not been met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The bilateral knee disability was also not found to be related to service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted an effective date of February 20, 2003 for the total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is related to her in-service personal assault. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since September 2, 2008. The Veteran is seeking a higher rating for his PTSD.,The Veteran's migraine headaches have been rated at 30 percent throughout the appeal period. The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for this condition.,The Veteran's shrapnel injury of the right Achilles tendon has been rated at 10 percent since July 7, 2007. The Veteran is seeking a higher initial compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD disability. The issue of TDIU has also been raised by the record and requires further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development, including verifying stressors and obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted based on new and material evidence received after the original denial in 1983, effective from October 16, 1981.