PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2015

The Veteran is competent to handle disbursement of funds for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits purposes, including his VA compensation benefits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, depressive disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and erectile dysfunction (claimed as impotence and priapism) are granted. The Veteran is also awarded a temporary total evaluation for hospital treatment in excess of 21 days due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD does not render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to an incomplete examination and other issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records since February 2014. The psychiatric claims will be readjudicated based on the expanded record.

The Veteran is seeking evaluations for PTSD in excess of 10 percent from March 6, 1982 through November 27, 2005 and in excess of 70 percent from November 28, 2005 through March 11, 2009. The claim must be considered under all three sets of criteria for PTSD that were in effect during the rating period.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically PTSD, was rated at 50 percent prior to July 7, 2015. Since then, the rating has been increased to 70 percent effective July 7, 2015.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted an initial 50 percent rating prior to December 18, 2008 and a 70 percent rating from that date through August 16, 2010.,A compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's diagnosed psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD and depression, are related to his active service.

The Veteran's PTSD did not result in total social impairment for the period from February 13, 2006, to July 18, 2008. His service-connected disabilities meet the percentage requirements for a TDIU and prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA psychiatric examination to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD. The examination must provide opinions on whether the Veteran meets the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD, if any non-PTSD psychiatric disorder is related to service, and if any non-PTSD psychiatric disorder was caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

Service connection for otitis media, chronic anxiety (PTSD), ischemic heart disease, gastroparesis, skin lesions on the feet bilaterally, and diabetes mellitus has been granted.,Effective dates have been assigned for each condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD and ischemic heart disease, contributed to his death due to a motor vehicle accident. The cause of death is therefore determined to be related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, effective March 18, 2014. The rating reflects the Veteran's occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for recurrent pleurisy, to include scar on lung as a qualifying chronic disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317 has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and a depressive disorder, is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since October 29, 2009 and the Board granted a 100 percent rating from May 4, 2010 to April 21, 2011. The Veteran also met criteria for TDIU during these periods.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD, finding that no formal or informal claim was filed before July 7, 2009.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Seizure Disorder as there is no evidence showing that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.