PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and an addendum medical opinion to consider whether the Veteran meets the criteria for any additional psychiatric diagnosis, including PTSD, in accordance with DSM-IV criteria. The claim will be re-adjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining an opinion on the cause of his calcar fracture and a PTSD examination. The claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and TDIU are also inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of PTSD is related to an in-service personal assault and harassment during basic training.

The Board has found the Veteran's report of stressors due to transporting a body and witnessing wounded soldiers boarding his naval vessel to be credible, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (diagnosed as PTSD or dysthymia) is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent disabling, effective March 1, 2011. The Board finds that his symptoms more closely approximate a 70 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his currently diagnosed major depressive disorder and previously diagnosed bipolar disorder. The case will be re-adjudicated after this is done.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to verify his claimed in-service stressors and for a new VA examination to address the etiology of his diagnosed psychiatric disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, secondary to back pain is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran is seeking to have the February 2002 rating decision that assigned a 30 percent disability rating for PTSD with depressive disorder and alcohol dependency, effective from June 26, 2001, revised due to CUE. The issue is whether there was CUE in assigning this rating.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD was denied as there is no evidence of any unadjudicated formal petition to reopen the claim prior to September 29, 2008. The Board found that the current effective date of September 29, 2008 is the earliest possible effective date. The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted as his combined disability rating is 100 percent.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was received in January 2009. Prior to September 2009, his combined disability rating for diabetes and associated complications was 60 percent, effective April 11, 2008; in September 2009, service connection was granted for PTSD, raising his combined disability rating to 70 percent, also effective April 11, 2008. The Veteran's income fell just below the average poverty threshold for one person after adjustment for Social Security and Medicare taxes, while engaged in marginal employment in running his portable barbeque business.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected anxiety disorder with PTSD is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for psychological problems, PTSD, and a sleep disorder. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, his CAD is rated at 30 percent prior to July 6, 2009, and at 30 percent thereafter. His burn scars are rated appropriately based on the severity of his disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and for obtaining updated medical records.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for increased ratings for PTSD, depressive disorder, left knee disability, and TDIU. The decision also addressed the issue of a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the RO needs to schedule a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for PTSD, lichen simplex chronicus, and degenerative joint disease of the right ankle were denied. The current ratings for these conditions are 30 percent for PTSD, 30 percent for lichen simplex chronicus, and 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the right ankle.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination for PTSD. The issues of service connection for PTSD and frostbite are also being addressed.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since November 30, 2010. He is granted TDIU based solely on his service-connected PTSD and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate effective from November 30, 2010.