PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, was not shown in service or until several years after service and has not been shown to be etiologically related to a disease, injury, or event in service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA records and adjudicate the issues of increased PTSD rating and total disability based on individual unemployability prior to June 14, 2011.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity from May 21, 2007 to March 30, 2009. From March 31, 2009, the impairment was total.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure. Service connection for PTSD is denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between service and the condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current major depressive disorder was caused or aggravated by his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporary VA psychiatric examination and for obtaining all pertinent VA treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a temporary 100% rating effective July 26, 2007 due to hospitalization over 21 days and assigned a 50% rating as of July 1, 2007.

The Board found no evidence of a personal assault in service and concluded that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since September 8, 2006. The current evaluation reflects symptoms of reduced reliability and productivity due to chronic sleep impairment; nightmares; anger and irritability; panic attacks more than once a week; depression; mild memory and concentration loss; emotional avoidance and numbing; suspiciousness; hyperarousal; exaggerated startle response; infrequent flashbacks; and difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and an appropriate VA examination to determine if he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities. The claims will be reviewed again after these actions.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be service-connected due to his reported experiences in Vietnam and fear of hostile military activity.

The Veteran's PTSD with cognitive disruption and sleep disturbance is currently rated at 50 percent, effective October 24, 2011. The claim for a higher rating has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private mental health treatment records, as well as a VA examination.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression has been rated as 30 percent disabling since December 30, 2008. The Board granted a higher initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD with depression and found that the Veteran is unemployable due to service-connected disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD related to in-service stressors.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and for updated treatment records. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder has been granted. The decision is based on the established link between these conditions and his in-service parachute accident.

The Veteran's claim for a greater than 70 percent rating for PTSD from April 1, 2010 to June 20, 2011 was denied. The Veteran also seeks an effective date prior to July 23, 2010 for the grant of TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a valid claim for service connection for PTSD. However, the VA examiner concluded that the Veteran may have an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD and is less likely as not caused by or related to his reported Vietnam stressor. The issue of service connection for this condition remains pending.

The Veteran's PTSD did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating of more than 50 percent from November 20, 2003 to May 11, 2006.