PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus, made him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from April 19, 2006, to December 28, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and adding all outstanding VA treatment records to the claims file.

The Veteran seeks service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, which he claims is related to an inservice personal/sexual assault. The most recent VA outpatient treatment records are dated September 2010, and the Veteran has been receiving treatment at a military sexual trauma program since then. Additional VA and private medical records must be obtained before a final decision can be made.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability and entitlement to TDIU due to lack of clear and unmistakable evidence showing pre-service onset or aggravation during service, as well as failure to meet all other criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depressive disorder, was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Board found that the Veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and there is no verified stressor to support a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD and therefore, service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying a specific stressor event. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and further development of evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, which represents total occupational and social impairment. The TDIU claim has been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated at 50 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depression and PTSD, due to a lack of current diagnosis and evidence. The case will be returned to the RO/AMC for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that his condition does not warrant a higher evaluation based on current symptoms.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA PTSD examination and additional medical records. The Veteran contends that his PTSD symptoms have worsened since his last VA examination in November 2011.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, was denied as there were no verifiable in-service stressors and the evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD based on such stressors. The earliest documented psychiatric treatment occurred after service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various gastrointestinal and psychiatric conditions, as well as a crushed right foot with bone spur, are granted.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disability because the Veteran did not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU before January 27, 2004 and there was no evidence that he was unemployable solely due to his right leg condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed in-service sexual assault stressors and their relationship to her current psychiatric conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) records and a VA examination to assess the impact of his PTSD on his employability.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, along with his other disabilities, renders him unemployable due to the severity of his symptoms and inability to work in a competitive environment.