PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination and review by a VA vocational rehabilitation specialist. The TDIU claim will also be considered.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since June 29, 2011. The rating is based on occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and a VA examination. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also part of this appeal.

The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety. The case is remanded due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's PTSD was initially rated at 30 percent prior to November 18, 2011 and increased to 70 percent from that date. The effective dates for these ratings are not specified in the decision.

The Veteran's PTSD with dysthymic disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, the highest available rating under the General Formula for Mental Disorders. The disability causes occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity but does not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD has resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Veteran is also found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to clarify the nature and severity of his PTSD symptoms and determine if he has any non-PTSD psychiatric disorders. The TDIU claim will be deferred until the increased rating claim is resolved.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a diagnosis of a psychiatric disability, and specifically does not meet the criteria for PTSD as per DSM-IV. Therefore, service connection for a psychiatric disability is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a May 2007 PTSD screening examination report, and the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is being returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50% rating prior to September 12, 2011. From September 12, 2011, the Veteran was assigned a 70% rating due to his symptoms of nightmares, anger, and difficulty in maintaining relationships.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service and whether it clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current psychiatric disability other than PTSD, and therefore denied his claim of service connection for PTSD.

The Board finds that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder, is at least in equipoise with service connection due to her in-service stressors. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for all acquired psychiatric disabilities other than PTSD.

The Veteran is seeking an increased disability evaluation for his service-connected PTSD. The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional treatment records and conduct a VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, dysthymic disorder, major depression, and depressive disorder, was denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was also denied. The Veteran's current left ear hearing loss is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to his active military service.

The Veteran's death was related to his service-connected PTSD, and the Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development to determine the etiology of his hypertension and psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed to his death in a car accident, and granted service connection for the cause of death.