PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The Veteran is seeking service connection for psychiatric disabilities and low back issues.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current cervical spine disability to service, and denied his claim.,The issue of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, remains pending as additional development is needed.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, residuals of a gunshot wound to the head, and loss of use of right arm status post laceration are all granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's PTSD is related to in-service stressors, his residuals of GSW to the head were secondary to his service-connected PTSD, but his loss of use of right arm was due to willful misconduct.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by symptomatology such as depressed mood and sleep impairment, resulting in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. This does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and preparing an addendum report by a qualified examiner to address the relationship between his hypertension and service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and hypertension have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran experienced stressors during his active duty in Grenada, which are corroborated by other evidence of record. The Veteran has PTSD as likely as not related to these verified stressors.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a contemporaneous mental health evaluation and additional medical records. The case will be returned to the Board for further review.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for a scheduled hearing. His other claims are also being remanded, and he will be provided an opportunity to appear at a hearing.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are consistent with the current 70 percent rating criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no medical diagnosis of current chronic PTSD that conforms to DSM-IV. Other psychiatric disabilities arose years after service and have not been attributed to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for radiculopathy was denied. Her claim for PTSD remains pending and her left knee instability rating is also pending.

The Veteran's low back disorder was incurred in service and the Board finds that service connection for this disability is warranted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a letter from the Veteran's employer and scheduling him for a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need to obtain mental health records from his VA treatment facility and for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection of PTSD or Major Depressive Disorder, as there is no diagnosis conforming to DSM-IV and the evidence fails to establish a link between his current psychiatric conditions and his active military service.

The Board has determined that a new examination is needed to address the etiology of any current acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and depressive disorder. The Veteran's claims file was reviewed, but additional stressors are claimed by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran's current mental disorders are related to service. The Veteran is also requested to submit additional evidence.

The Board has ordered the case remanded for additional development and clarification of the Veteran's education and self-employment status. The appeal will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's diagnosed Anxiety Disorder, NOS, mild, with episodes of depression is causally or etiologically related to active duty, including his service in Korea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of hypertension, sleep apnea, and a neck disability. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was also denied as it did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent from November 21, 2003, but his TDIU claim remains pending.