PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2016

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and his ability to work due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's symptoms meet the criteria for service connection of PTSD, and thus grants this claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, sleep apnea, and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, are found to be so severe that they prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including posttraumatic stress disorder, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, and residuals of a fracture of the pelvis with degenerative joint disease left hip, precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and work background since June 21, 2012.

The Veteran's appeal to increase his evaluation for PTSD has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of this issue.

The Veteran's TBI residuals, including cognitive impairment and emotional/behavioral dysfunction, are rated at a 40 percent rating. The Veteran has level 2 cognitive impairment secondary to mild memory loss, attention, concentration, and executive dysfunction.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding new and material evidence. The Veteran's right ankle disability is now considered incurred in service, while her claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending due to the submission of new stressor allegations.

The Board has granted service connection for multilevel lumbar disc degeneration and an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to in-service noise exposure, and service connection for this condition is granted. The Veteran's PTSD disability rating remains at 30 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD was dismissed due to withdrawal. The reduction of the 30 percent rating for left knee instability to non-compensable effective September 1, 2010, was denied as improper.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current psychiatric disability, including PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, is linked to in-service personal assault. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, but new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The reduction in his anxiety disorder rating from 50% to noncompensable was found to be improper due to procedural errors and the failure to consider applicable regulations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and examination reports, as well as for further consideration of his increased evaluation claim for PTSD and depression and TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need to verify his claimed stressors and obtain a VA examination.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since July 2009, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted due to the lack of total social and occupational impairment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a supplemental medical opinion from the examiner who conducted his June 2013 VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining more recent VA outpatient records and scheduling a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and a back disability have been reopened, but the claim of compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 based on participation in CWT program remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to service connection for hypertension or PTSD. The evidence does not establish a medical nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his documented in-service incurrences, nor does it indicate that he developed these conditions within one year after leaving the service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial increased rating for PTSD was granted, with a 50 percent rating effective May 15, 2008 and a 70 percent rating effective November 20, 2013.