PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2014

The Veteran was granted service connection for PTSD, which is likely related to her military service. She also received a 100% disability rating for left knee arthritis due to aggravation of a pre-existing condition.,Service connection for TDIU remains pending as the issue is not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD and a skin disability, to include tinea cruris, is denied as he does not have these conditions. The Veteran was previously granted service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and providing an addendum to the March 2013 examination report.

The Veteran's current psychiatric symptoms indicate serious symptoms, characterized by persistent suicidal ideation and isolation. The Board has determined that a 70 percent rating is warranted for his acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder).

The Veteran's appeal involves two main issues: one regarding an earlier effective date for a PTSD rating, and the other concerning whether there was clear and unmistakable error in a 1973 rating decision. The Board has determined that these issues are intertwined and must be remanded to allow for further development.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and dissociative disorder with depression, is currently rated at 50 percent. The symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder and panic disorder, is denied as there is no verified in-service stressor to support the claimed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, finding that there was no credible evidence of in-service stressors or a current disability related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder, was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and denied her claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to verify his duty status with the Michigan Army National Guard (ARNG) from December 1986 to October 1992, and to attempt to verify additional stressors for PTSD. The VA examiner will provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during a period of active duty or is related to his service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and the Board grants secondary service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD benefits were reinstated starting from June 29, 1991, the day after his release from active duty.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and granted service connection, finding that new evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD related to in-service stressors.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA psychiatric examination to assess his PTSD and an etiological opinion regarding his sleep apnea. The issues of entitlement to increased evaluation for PTSD and service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD are pending.

The Board has granted a higher evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, but also found that he is unemployable due to his disabilities. The Veteran's PTSD alone renders him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD, as the most recent examination took place in 2007 and is no longer contemporaneous.

The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for residuals of TBI, service connection for PTSD, and service connection for hepatitis C were denied. The Veteran was not granted any benefits.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been rated at 70 percent, the highest schedular rating available. The evidence shows that his symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in areas such as work, family relations, judgment, thinking, and mood.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorder. The evidence received since the November 2007 rating decision relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate a claim for service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD, depression, cardiovascular disability, lung disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability has been granted.