PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal is REMANDED to the RO for further substantive development, including scheduling a VA psychiatric examination and obtaining outstanding VA treatment and Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD is dismissed as a freestanding claim cannot be entertained.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and internal hemorrhoids. The rating for PTSD remains unchanged, but a compensable rating for hemorrhoids may be considered.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a readjudication of his claim.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability level based on symptoms such as reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's diagnosed psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, depression, and PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran was granted service connection for PTSD with a 50% rating effective May 25, 2006. The claim is pending since the December 2008 rating decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with major depressive disorder, result in a need for aid and attendance on a regular basis to protect the Veteran from hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date before September 19, 2008, for the grant of service connection for PTSD is denied. The final denial was in November 1994 and no new or material evidence was received within one year to reopen the claim.

Service connection for PTSD was granted based in part on official service department records confirming an in-service stressor that existed but had not been associated with the claims file at the time of a previous denial. The effective date is set as July 28, 1995.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder did not produce severe impairment in his ability to establish and maintain effective or favorable relationships with people, and the psychoneurotic symptoms were not of such severity and persistence as to produce severe impairment in obtaining or retaining employment during the period from December 21, 1989, to October 31, 1990.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 70 percent before June 14, 2005, but the Board denied a higher rating and an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's claim for an increased initial disability rating for PTSD and his TDIU claim are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's lung disorder claim was denied, while his acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) claim was granted. The decision is mixed as one issue was granted and the other was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected conversion disorder with PTSD did not cause or contribute to his death from right heart failure. The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's PTSD to his cause of death.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since November 20, 2012. The initial rating of 30 percent prior to that date remains in effect.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was unemployable due to his PTSD since May 1, 1996. The effective date for TDIU is set at May 1, 1996.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and a major depressive disorder, had its onset during her period of service. Therefore, service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional development due to outstanding records and a need for an addendum opinion by the VA examiner.