PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2016

The Board granted an initial 50 percent evaluation for PTSD and remanded the claim for TDIU. The portion of the March 2015 decision that denied the claim of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is vacated.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD was present at the time he filed his claim in February 1994, and thus an effective date of February 10, 1994 for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right hand disability, bilateral foot disabilities, and acquired psychiatric disorder were denied. The Board found no evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence.,Service connection was not granted for bilateral knee arthritis as the condition did not manifest within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a higher initial disability rating of 50 percent prior to June 1, 2011, and a 70 percent rating from June 1, 2011. The TDIU claim is also granted.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent prior to July 31, 2015, and increased to 70 percent thereafter. Peripheral neuropathy of the extremities were all rated at 10 percent.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and granted it, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence to support a link between the Veteran's combat experiences and his current PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD is dismissed as a matter of law due to the finality of the July 2008 rating decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for an in-person hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depression has resulted in occupational and social impairment, warranting a rating of 70 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression is manifested by symptoms equivalent to a 50 percent rating, and the level of occupational and social impairment corresponds to that rating. Therefore, a 50 percent disability rating for PTSD with depression is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including verification of claimed stressor events and a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations and obtaining updated treatment records.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and her acquired psychiatric disorder is not related to service, including an alleged personal assault. The claim was denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and MDD. The evidence received since the December 1974 denial includes VA treatment records noting diagnoses of MDD, PTSD, and anxiety disorder, as well as statements from the Veteran asserting that these diagnoses were predicated on in-service trauma.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to an in-service stressor, and service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Veteran has withdrawn all his appeals, including those for increased ratings and service connection claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and left ear hearing loss, as well as his TDIU claim, are being remanded due to scheduling issues.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of PTSD at any time during the pendency of the appeal and that acquired psychiatric disorders other than PTSD were not related to service, a psychosis did not manifest itself within one year of service, and it was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). The case is being remanded to consider an extraschedular TDIU based on the Veteran's unemployability due to PTSD.

The Board has determined that the effective date for service connection of PTSD should be December 17, 1982, as this is the earliest date of claim. The April 1983 rating decision denying service connection for a psychiatric disorder is not subject to revision based on clear and unmistakable error.