PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2015

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss disability and found new evidence does not relate to a chronic sinusitis or hypercholesterolemia/hyperlipidemia. Service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD due to military sexual trauma (MST), was incurred in service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of PTSD is related to a verified in-service stressor, and the Board finds that service connection for PTSD should be granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted, and he also has a diagnosis of major depression. The issue of entitlement to service connection for psychiatric disability other than PTSD and hypertension are addressed in the REMAND.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for PTSD, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer were denied as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other causative factors. The Veteran's dysautonomia is rated at the minimum level due to his symptoms.

The Veteran's hypertension is found to have been incurred during his active duty from July 2008 to October 2009. Service connection for insomnia is granted as it is secondary to service-connected PTSD and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has determined that a rating of no more than 50 percent for his PTSD is warranted throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder has rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that he is unemployable due to his PTSD symptoms.

The Veteran's PTSD with secondary depression and history of anxiety reaction is currently rated at 50 percent, effective from May 28, 2010. The Board has granted a higher rating to 70 percent since March 31, 2011.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling from June 1, 2012. The Board has granted a TDIU based on service-connected PTSD.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and a depressive disorder, finding that new evidence supports her claims. The diagnoses are in part related to alleged harassment, sexual assault, and attempted rape during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy, resulted in a combined 80% disability rating. The Board found that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow a substantial gainful occupation due to his service-connected conditions, leading to a grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but no higher. The claims for COPD and emphysema as well as the back disability are denied due to lack of service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cervical spine degenerative disc disease without myelopathy, shell fragment wound (SFW) residuals affecting the neck, right shoulder and chest, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. As such, his TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including a nervous disorder and PTSD, due to outstanding questions regarding his current psychiatric disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD that is related to active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to new information provided by the Veteran regarding an assault in service, and a request should be made to the Air Force Office of Special Investigation (AFOSI) to obtain a copy of the police report.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial evaluation greater than 30 percent for PTSD and entitlement to a TDIU due to outstanding medical records being needed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for PTSD with depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse. The Veteran was granted a 50 percent rating prior to March 24, 2008, and a 70 percent rating thereafter.