PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The VA examiner is requested to provide an addendum addressing the current diagnoses and whether they are at least as likely as not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as he does not have a diagnosed mental disability, including PTSD. His claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD has resulted in significant occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms most closely approximate those for a 50 percent rating, and the Board has granted an increased rating of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a prostate disorder and an earlier effective date for PTSD were both denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support these claims, and that April 10, 2009 was the earliest date of receipt of his claims.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and therefore denied service connection for PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus with headaches and PTSD in the May 16, 1989 decisions. The Veteran appealed these denials.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including verifying his alleged stressors and obtaining updated VA treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The decision also found that his personality disorder was not related to service and did not preexist service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are not service-connected, as they are related to a non-service-connected neck disability. The PTSD diagnosis is also not service-connected.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD was denied because there is no evidence of such a condition in service or any link between it and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and PTSD, is being remanded due to incomplete development of his claims file. The VA will attempt to obtain his complete service personnel records, in-service psychiatric treatment records, and Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 100 percent since December 2005, and the appeal for an increased rating is denied. The effective date of TDIU remains November 30, 2009.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is likely related to his service in the Dominican Republic, and thus grants service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder (claimed as schizophrenia, PTSD, and anxiety) and a neurological disability (numbness of the feet and toes), finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, alcohol dependence and cocaine dependence, was not incurred in or aggravated by his service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) has determined that the deceased service member's discharge in August 1989 was under other than honorable conditions due to willful and persistent misconduct, including drug abuse. The Board found no evidence to upgrade this discharge or establish insanity as a defense. Therefore, the character of the deceased service member's discharge is considered a bar to the appellant's basic eligibility for VA benefits.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional evidence and for a VA examination. The claims for an increased evaluation of PTSD and TDIU are also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his in-service experiences and service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, thoracolumbar spine disability, and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy were denied. The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD was reopened based on new evidence, but the claim itself was not granted as his claimed in-service stressors could not be verified.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, finding that the evidence supports a direct link to military service.