PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2014

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen her claim of service connection for PTSD and finds that new evidence received since the August 1996 denial is material. The issue of TDIU remains pending as it cannot be addressed without resolving the service connection issue.

For the entire appeals period, the Veteran's PTSD has been characterized as occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks. The symptoms have included mild memory loss, hypervigilance, restricted affect, depressed mood, but no suicidal or homicidal ideation, panic attacks, mania, psychosis, obsessional rituals, delusions, anxiety, or history of violence.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to her military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination and consideration of his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected anxiety disorder, hypertension, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The TDIU claim is also dependent on these issues.

The Board has determined that there is no credible supporting evidence of the Veteran's alleged in-service stressors, and therefore service connection for PTSD cannot be granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected conditions had worsened since the last examination.

The Veteran's PTSD is service-connected as a result of active duty during the Persian Gulf War. The right ankle disability has been granted, but no compensable rating was assigned.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a new VA examination to assess the impact of his PTSD on his employability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being remanded due to conflicting medical evidence and the need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing private psychiatric evaluation and incomplete VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD will be addressed again with additional evidentiary development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and PTSD were an etiological factor in his development of ED, thus granting secondary service connection for ED.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability to include PTSD and a low back disability cannot be granted as there is no credible evidence of an in-service stressor, and his current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated at 70 percent since November 30, 2009. The rating reflects occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to symptoms such as depression, irritability, impaired impulse control, and difficulty adapting stressful circumstances.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and anxiety disorder, is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his claimed conditions did not meet the criteria for service connection based on direct evidence or presumptive exposure to environmental hazards. The Board found that there was no competent medical evidence linking his current symptoms to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for scoliosis of the thoracic spine and granted it. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is remanded for further development.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for PTSD effective March 24, 1999.

The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against finding that the Veteran has an acquired psychiatric disability related to service, and thus his claims for service connection are denied.