PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted with an effective date of January 12, 2005.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for PTSD and granted it, but denied the application to reopen the claim of service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders other than PTSD. The Veteran's PTSD is related to his in-service stressors.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the effective date for PTSD service connection, which was previously granted in November 2007.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and an opinion regarding whether PTSD is a valid diagnosis.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran was diagnosed with PTSD in 2010 and his current diagnoses include PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, and dementia.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since May 11, 2011. The rating is based on symptoms such as anxiety attacks, depression, and memory issues.

The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD, finding that no new and material evidence was received prior to July 15, 2009.

Prior to July 18, 2014, the Veteran's PTSD was manifested by symptoms such as anger, irritability, depression, concentration problems, suicidal and homicidal ideation, impairment of relationships with others, resulting in deficiencies in most areas. However, the preponderance of the evidence shows that the Veteran's psychiatric disability did not more closely approximate total social and occupational impairment prior to July 18, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for verification of his claimed stressor event and additional development of medical evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his physical and mental incapacity, which requires care and assistance on a regular basis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder, is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for any of the claimed conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, erectile dysfunction, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, kidney disorder, and polyneuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities. The claims are denied.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking and mood. The initial rating for PTSD prior to January 26, 2009 was granted at 50 percent; from April 1, 2009 to September 30, 2012 and from January 1, 2013, the Veteran is rated at 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging for a new VA eye examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD is also being remanded to issue an SOC.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disorder and an increased rating for PTSD. The Veteran's current right shoulder disorder is not considered to be related to his military service, while his PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since March 20, 2014.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, PTSD, chronic pain disorder, and other neurological disorders. The decision is based on the lack of evidence supporting a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including sending a copy of the claims file to his representative and scheduling him for a DRO hearing.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by occupational and social impairment, with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, chronic sleep impairment, flattened affect, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, and suicidal ideation. The Board finds that a rating in excess of 50 percent is not warranted.

The Veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but not total social and occupational impairment. The criteria for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD have not been met.