PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2014

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, anxiety disorder, and PTSD. A VA examination is needed to determine if the claimed stressors are related to his fear of hostile military or terrorist activity and whether any diagnosed psychiatric disorders are linked to service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent, which meets the criteria for a higher initial rating. The claim for service connection for tinnitus and skin condition is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a scheduling issue for his hearing. The issues of increased evaluation for pneumonia and service connection for PTSD remain unresolved.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development and examination.,The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development and examination.,The Veteran's hypertension is not related to service or diabetes mellitus with nephropathy. It is also not secondary to herbicide exposure, but may be aggravated by diabetes mellitus with nephropathy.,The Veteran's atrial fibrillation is not related to service or diabetes mellitus with nephropathy. It is also not secondary to herbicide exposure, but may be aggravated by diabetes mellitus with nephropathy.,The Veteran's heart disease other than atrial fibrillation is not related to service or diabetes mellitus with nephropathy. It is also not secondary to herbicide exposure, but may be aggravated by diabetes mellitus with nephropathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD warrants a 70 percent disability rating for the entire initial rating period on appeal, as his symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to include verification of claimed stressors events in service and expansion of the claim to include all currently shown psychiatric diagnoses. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination if any of the three stressor events are verified.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA psychiatric examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD and its impact on his employment.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of these claims as he is no longer alive.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their request for a hearing and indicated that their issues have been resolved.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to assess the severity of his PTSD during specific time periods.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased rating for PTSD, and a compensable rating for his finger injury are being remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining a new VA mental health examination and attempting to verify in-service stressors.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining in-service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD. The Veteran may also be scheduled for a VA general medical examination regarding TDIU.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, was denied as there is no evidence linking his current psychiatric disabilities to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete records and need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining updated treatment records. The case will be readjudicated after the development is completed.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for alcohol dependence, which is secondary to his service-connected PTSD, has been remanded due to insufficient information in the current evidence of record. A new examination is needed to determine if the alcohol dependence is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in its November 2011 decision, including insufficient development of evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed stressors and psychiatric diagnoses.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than August 14, 2006, for the assignment of a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD was denied. The Board found that it is not factually ascertainable that the Veteran's disability more nearly approximated the criteria for a 70 percent rating or higher prior to August 14, 2006.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected PTSD and bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Veteran's hypertension claim is not addressed as it is unclear whether he is seeking service connection or just a higher rating.