PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed stressors, including witnessing a soldier being attacked and mutilated, firing an artillery salvo into the DMZ, and seeing another soldier beaten to death, were not verified. As such, service connection for PTSD could not be established.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity prior to March 2, 2005. From March 2, 2005 to October 21, 2009, the impairment was more severe, warranting a higher rating of 70 percent. Since then, the impairment has not met the criteria for an even higher rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral ankle disability, migraine headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, depression, and dysthymic disorder). The appeals were not successful as new and material evidence was not provided to reopen these claims.

The Board found no credible evidence of a head injury sustained during active service and denied the Veteran's claim for residuals of a head injury. The issue of PTSD was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, and PTSD. The Veteran's claim is granted.

The Veteran has withdrawn their appeals for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD, thus the cases are dismissed.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent prior to April 10, 2009. The Board has found that a higher rating is warranted for the period from August 28, 2007, to April 10, 2009.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since June 9, 2008. The rating reflects occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks, chronic sleep impairment, and mild memory loss.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms did not result in more than occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. The cause of death was unrelated to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection of a lower back condition, bilateral knee condition, and PTSD. The claim for PTSD is granted as there is credible supporting evidence of an in-service personal assault.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and issuing a statement of the case regarding the effective date of his PTSD service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and medical opinions regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected conditions, including PTSD. The Board finds that the appellant is not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be causally related to his in-service noise exposure, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The issue of PTSD remains pending as it did not meet the criteria for a valid diagnosis at the time of the April 2010 VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed PTSD could not be attributed to his military service due to a lack of independently verifiable in-service stressful experiences.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a disability rating of 50% prior to September 14, 2008 and increased to 70% from September 14, 2008 to September 14, 2009. The decision on the sleep disorder claim is pending.

The Board found clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran's psychiatric disability pre-existed active service, but also found that it was aggravated by service. The Veteran's current PTSD and depression are therefore considered to be service-connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of PTSD and residuals of shrapnel wounds to various body parts, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the original rating decisions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred in service due to Agent Orange exposure. The Board finds that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides, including Agent Orange, during his active duty in Thailand and Vietnam.