PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and SSA records. A vocational rehabilitation specialist will also evaluate the Veteran's employability with her service-connected disability.

The Veteran's PTSD has been productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but not to the extent that would warrant a higher initial evaluation.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but did not result in total occupational and social impairment. The Veteran was found unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation for the period from February 12, 2011 through February 2, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to effectively preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment for which the Veteran's education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify her.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, corroborating the Veteran's stressor claim, and conducting a psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a higher initial rating prior to June 18, 2013 for posttraumatic stress disorder is dismissed. The Board finds that the Veteran's asthma was incurred in service due to exposure to environmental elements during active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, as well as information about the Veteran's time at Camp Lejeune. The claims will be readjudicated based on all received evidence.

The Board finds that VA compensation payments for PTSD were properly terminated effective August 1, 2011 due to an administrative error in the coding of the disability.

The Board has granted an increased rating for PTSD to 50 percent, effective from April 2010. However, the issue of whether he is entitled to a higher rating requires additional development, as does his claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left upper extremity neuropathy, left ear hearing loss, increased ratings for right upper extremity radiculopathy and PTSD, as well as compensable ratings for tension headaches and right ear hearing loss due to procedural reasons.

The Veteran seeks a higher rating for his service-connected PTSD, currently rated at 50 percent. The Board has determined that an additional VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of his PTSD and its effect on his social and occupational functioning.

The Veteran's PTSD with intermittent explosive disorder has been rated at 70 percent, effective October 4, 2010. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a videoconference hearing before the Board at the RO. The Veteran was diagnosed with unspecified depressive disorder, which is incorporated in his previous PTSD claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied in 2001 and became final. The RO reopened the claim based on new evidence submitted in August 2012, granting service connection effective from that date.

The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD, which first manifested many years after service, is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to his active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling, and he has other disabilities that bring his combined rating to 70 percent. The Board finds the Veteran unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and PTSD were granted, with effective dates of April 30, 2012. The effective date was assigned based on the liberalizing regulations that added these conditions to presumptive service-connected diseases due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and Vet Center records, and scheduling a new examination to assess the severity of his service-connected psychiatric disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims for service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, and sleep apnea. The reopened claim for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has determined that the case must be remanded for further development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's PTSD. The TDIU issue is also inextricably intertwined with the PTSD claim.