PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted and assigned a 10 percent rating, with the Board finding that his symptoms more nearly approximate occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is currently rated at 30 percent, and the claim for an increased evaluation remains denied.,Service connection for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy has not been established as they are not related to service or herbicide exposure.,PTSD was diagnosed but not linked to service. The Veteran's current psychiatric disability is attributed to alcohol abuse, which may be considered a secondary condition.,The claim for PTSD remains denied.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for PTSD has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of this issue.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD. The issues of reopening claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and leukemia are no longer on appeal.

The Veteran's PTSD has been characterized by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. However, the disability did not result in total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent, the highest available rating under the General Rating Formula for evaluating psychiatric disabilities other than eating disorders.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of the record and consideration of updated VA treatment records.

The Veteran was granted a 100% rating for PTSD effective April 19, 2011. The earlier effective date of September 16, 2009 is also granted.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as PTSD, is currently rated at 30 percent for the period prior to April 14, 2014. Since that date, he has been granted a 50 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the impact of his PTSD on his employability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his PTSD. The case will be reviewed again after this development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected conditions, including PTSD. The cause of death listed in the VA donor note was cardiopulmonary arrest, which is less likely than not related to any service-connected condition.

The VA determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is not service-connected due to lack of evidence supporting a link between his current condition and military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at the highest possible rating of 100 percent, effective September 25, 2007. Prior to this date, his PTSD was rated as 30 percent disabling.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, including family relations; social avoidance; work problems such as verbal conflicts; obsessive compulsive disorder that interferes with routine activities; depressed mood and anxiety; hypervigilance and hyperarousal; impaired impulse control; and difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances. The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have not produced more severe manifestations that more nearly approximate total occupational and social impairment.,For the entire appeal period, the Veteran's chronic left knee strain is manifested by objective evidence of painful motion, extension limited to no more than zero degrees and flexion limited to no less than 130 degrees. The Veteran did not have lateral instability prior to May 4, 2015, recurrent subluxation, dislocation or removal of the semilunar cartilage, ankylosis, impairment of the tibia or fibula, or genu recurvatum.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated at 50 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and difficulty in establishing effective work and social relationships.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling an updated VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and its impact on his ability to work. The case will be returned to the Board after this additional development.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, and hearing loss, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. As such, the appeal for TDIU was denied.