PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2015

The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and thus, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is denied.

The Veteran was found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities for the period from April 12, 2006 to May 4, 2011.

The Veteran's depression and PTSD are found to be related to his military service, granting service connection for these conditions.

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

The Veteran's claim for chloracne was denied, and the claim for PTSD received an effective date prior to February 10, 1997. The decision is mixed as it addresses both conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus are all granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining treatment records.

The Veteran's death was caused by blunt head trauma, which the service-connected disabilities of his right hand likely contributed to. The appellant is also entitled to accrued benefits based on a pending claim for TDIU due to her husband's severe service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claim for TDIU due to new evidence and further consideration by the RO.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and considering all relevant evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD and depressive disorder have resulted in total occupational and social impairment throughout the period on appeal.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and his other service-connected conditions do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks prior to September 11, 2014. As of that date, the impairment was reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since September 4, 2009. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating and denied his claim for an increased rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA psychiatric and neurological examination to assess his PTSD and TBI.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since January 30, 2013. The claim for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and erectile dysfunction was not addressed.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and Social Security Administration records. The Veteran will be provided a new VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and review of the claims, including obtaining VA treatment records from before September 2000 and arranging for medical evaluations to assess the severity of the Veteran's disabilities. The appeal will be considered on its merits after these actions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.