PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for PTSD and found that new and material evidence was received. However, the claim remains denied as the Veteran's allegations of fear of enemy action are not sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to a verified stressor experienced during active service, and therefore grants service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new examination and additional VA medical records, as well as potential adjustment of his initial rating.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a PTSD examination to assess the current severity of her service-connected PTSD. The TDIU claim will also be considered in light of the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased evaluation of his PTSD has been withdrawn by the appellant's attorney, resulting in the dismissal of the case.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and determined that new evidence supports a finding of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and schizophrenia. The Board found that there is at least equipoise as to whether the Veteran's conditions began during active service or are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to ensure all relevant evidence is considered in the decision on the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The VA examiner's opinion was considered more probative than the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms and their impact on his functioning.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of the evidence, including his account of military sexual trauma.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities did not have onset during his active duty service and are not otherwise related to such service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his exposure to mortar attacks during service, and thus grants service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to address the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD. The case will be re-adjudicated after a formal character of discharge determination regarding his last period of active service from September 1985 to August 1990.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD and other acquired psychiatric disorders is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records from a 1975 hospitalization.

The Veteran's PTSD and dysthymia were rated at 70 percent effective September 19, 1996. The rating was increased to 100 percent effective February 2, 2012.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, are related to his military service. The claim is granted.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an updated VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including whether his service-connected disabilities have aggravated any nonservice-connected psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's unemployability is due to his service-connected PTSD and loss of peripheral vision in the left eye, which precludes him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to the need to consider whether his more broadly characterized psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, may be causally associated with service. Additional records are needed from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) regarding his work-related psychiatric treatment and evaluation, as well as verification of alleged in-service stressor events.