PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD has been withdrawn due to his grant of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a PTSD compensation examination. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50% prior to September 13, 2012, and increased to 70% as of that date. The appeal is for an increase in the rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and bipolar disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since the grant of service connection, reflecting moderate occupational and social impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether these conditions are due to combat stressors. Service connection was also granted for Reiter's syndrome.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a travel board hearing.

The Veteran's PTSD has resulted in total disability due to service-connected conditions, warranting a 100% disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 70% from August 24, 2007 to April 14, 2011. After that date, the rating remained at 70%. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not been assigned a compensable evaluation since August 24, 2007 and no higher than 20% on or after February 14, 2013.,The Veteran's PTSD was rated based on the criteria for a 50% disability rating due to symptoms such as flattened affect, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, impairment of short- and long-term memory, impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty establishing effective work and social relationships. The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 70% based on the criteria for a 70% disability rating due to symptoms such as suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals, near-continuous panic or depression affecting ability to function independently, impulse control issues, spatial disorientation, neglect of personal appearance and hygiene, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, and inability to establish effective relationships.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted an initial rating of 30 percent prior to September 28, 2011 and increased to 70 percent from September 28, 2011 through May 22, 2013. The Board found that the symptoms met the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD has resulted in occupational and social impairment, warranting a 30 percent disability rating.

PTSD was rated at 70 percent effective January 19, 2006.,Left ankle disability was rated at 30 percent prior to October 14, 2009 and 70 percent from February 1, 2010 onwards.,Migraine headaches were initially rated at 10 percent before February 12, 2013 and 50 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, to include bipolar disorder, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, including as due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and medical opinions regarding the etiology of his service-connected PTSD, hypertension, and TIAs.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his headaches, as well as to assess the severity of his PTSD, left knee disability, and tinea pedis.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive disorder. The Veteran's claimed in-service events were found to be sufficient to establish the presence of a PTSD diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain in-service and pre-service mental health treatment records, as well as a VA examination. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the sufficiency of his in-service stressors and whether he currently has PTSD related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of her claimed PTSD and right wrist disorder.