PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case due to an equipment malfunction during a prior hearing, and the Veteran is requested to provide a new travel board hearing.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD, and therefore service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition other than PTSD is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The case will be readjudicated after all necessary steps are taken.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent from April 18, 2007, to July 6, 2010. From July 7, 2010, the rating remains at 50 percent. The intermittent fecal incontinence, urgency, and frequency are rated at 30 percent from May 12, 2008, to June 12, 2013, and at 60 percent since June 13, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 8, 2008, for service connection of PTSD was denied as the original claim was received by VA on that date.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) after additional examination reports were added to the record.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA outpatient treatment records and conducting a comprehensive psychiatric examination to determine if any currently or previously diagnosed psychiatric disorders are related to service. The Veteran's hypertension is also being evaluated, as well as his erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of additional evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded because the VA has not obtained all relevant treatment records and a new examination is needed to assess his PTSD severity. Additionally, he needs an examination to determine if he is unemployable due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board is remanding the case to pursue additional development, including contacting the veteran's service department for a copy of any Navy Security Forces report regarding an incident in Puerto Rico. The Veteran claims he was involved in a car accident that resulted in a civilian pedestrian's death while on leave from Roosevelt Roads Naval Station.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, migraine headaches, left and right knee strains, fracture of the right jaw, right elbow tendonitis, and erectile dysfunction, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at the highest available rating of 70 percent, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment. His diabetes mellitus with retinopathy is not service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and any relevant non-VA healthcare provider records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is pending.

The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease is granted service connection based on exposure to herbicides in Thailand. The issues of PTSD and breathing problems are not addressed as the hearing transcript could not be produced.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, recurrent tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for PTSD, and the Board has dismissed the case.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The appeal is based on the denial of his PTSD claim.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since the date of claim, and a higher rating is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus the claim for TDIU is denied.