PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service. However, the Veteran does not meet the threshold eligibility requirements for nonservice-connected pension benefits due to a lack of active duty during a wartime period.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD from July 28, 2010 to August 12, 2013.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since August 17, 2011. The Board found that the evidence supports a TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and right ear hearing loss were denied. The Veteran was granted a 10% disability rating for tinnitus, but the Board found that this did not warrant an increased evaluation. His claims for ischemic heart disease, anxiety disorder, bilateral tinea pedis, and left ear hearing loss are pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was not granted, but his depression has been rated at 50%.

The Veteran's MDD has been rated at 70% since the initial grant of service connection. The current level of impairment does not warrant a higher rating as her symptoms do not meet the criteria for total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and varicose veins of the right lower extremity, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. However, his employment history is unclear due to conflicting information provided by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD with depression is dismissed as a freestanding claim, and there is no evidence of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in prior decisions.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his functional impairment from service-connected disabilities. The AOJ will readjudicate the case with consideration of all evidence received since the last prior adjudication.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication due to concerns raised by the Court regarding the adequacy of a VA examination used in the July 2013 decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding his initial evaluations for PTSD, left knee disability, and left thumb disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Veteran is granted a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD from March 21, 2007 to May 23, 2011. Service connection for gastrointestinal disorder secondary to PTSD is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD and for service connection for hypertension. The Veteran was not granted any new rating or effective dates.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD and depression, as well as sexual problems. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence of a current disability that is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings or service connection in all cases.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, dysthymic disorder, panic disorder, and insomnia disorder, was characterized by chronic sleep impairment, anxiety, and depressed mood prior to April 9, 2009. The symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

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 a rating of 70 percent is warranted for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the February 2014 VA examination and the need to obtain additional treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA psychiatric examination. The TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with the PTSD claim.