PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's PTSD and depressive disorder have been granted, with a rating of 50 percent effective June 15, 2007.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.,The Veteran has been unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to her service-connected PTSD for the entire period on appeal prior to January 6, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for waiver of premium on Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance (RH) was denied because the legal requirements set forth in 38 U.S.C.A. § 1912(a) have not been met, as he did not apply for insurance until after receiving a total disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to March 4, 2009 did not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board finds that the Veteran has diagnoses of PTSD and adjustment disorder with depressed mood, which have been linked to corroborated in-service personal assault stressors. As such, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from June 17, 1999 through January 4, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, scheduling a VA examination, and providing an addendum opinion. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss are currently pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus and PTSD are service-connected, with the PTSD receiving a 100% rating effective October 12, 2011. No other conditions have been granted service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any psychiatric disability, to include PTSD. The evidence is insufficient to establish service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, a skin disorder, diabetes mellitus, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and atopic dermatitis have been granted. Service connection is established for these conditions based on their relationship to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as PTSD and major depressive disorder, was incurred during his period of active duty. The Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was originally filed in 1982, and the Board has determined that an effective date of April 12, 1982 is warranted due to receipt of relevant service department records.

The Veteran's PTSD with anxiety disorder and depression has been manifested by moderate symptoms including depression, sleep impairment with nightmares, social isolation, auditory and visual hallucinations, mildly impaired short-term memory, irritability, impaired concentration, panic attacks occurring more than once per week, and consistent GAF scores of 55. The criteria for an initial disability rating of 50 percent have been met prior to May 6, 2014; thereafter, the criteria for an increased disability rating in excess of 50 percent have not been met.

The Veteran's PTSD has been productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The Board finds that the criteria for a 70 percent rating have been met.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records, as well as the need to consider new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his heart condition arose during service or is otherwise related to any incidents of service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Raynaud's phenomenon, cold injury residuals, and PTSD, are being reviewed to determine if they contributed to his death. The appellant claims that these conditions worsened prior to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at least a 50 percent since January 2012, and the Board is granting this rating. The issue of entitlement to an increased disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD as well as TDIU are being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.