PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA psychiatric examination and review of his stressor claims. The case will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The effective date of the award was not addressed as it is a separate issue.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 50 percent, which does not meet the percentage requirements for schedular TDIU. The Board finds no persuasive evidence suggesting that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities or that his case is outside the norm.

The Veteran has expressed his desire to withdraw his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA mental health examination to assess the severity of his PTSD.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection, and his PTSD was granted an increased rating to 50 percent.

The Veteran's appendectomy scar is rated at 10 percent, and the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) has been granted.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and depressive disorder, are related to his military service. The Veteran claims that these conditions were caused by an in-service sexual assault.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and for obtaining additional medical records.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at a 70 percent evaluation from June 3, 2007 to July 21, 2013 and at a 100 percent evaluation since July 22, 2013.,The VA determined that the Veteran is unemployable due to his PTSD.

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 fear of hostile military activity during his Vietnam service.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a credible, verified or verifiable noncombat-related in-service stressor and thus could not establish service connection for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and VA medical center records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD will be reconsidered based on this additional evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, effective from September 9, 2011. The Board found that his symptoms approximate the criteria for a 70 percent rating but granted only the current 30 percent evaluation.

The Board has granted an effective date of September 18, 1980 for the award of service connection for PTSD based on new evidence received after the original claim was denied in January 1981.

The Board has granted a 100 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, finding that his disability is so severe as to render him totally disabled both occupationally and socially.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since October 24, 2012. Prior to that date, the rating was granted but not in excess of 50 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension did not have its onset in or within one year of service discharge, and therefore cannot be presumed to have been incurred due to herbicide exposure. The claim for service connection is denied as there is no direct evidence linking the current diagnosis of hypertension to his active duty.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and a need for an opinion on aggravation of psychiatric disorders by service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is incurred during his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.