PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining private treatment records. The claim will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD does not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for PTSD and a right shoulder disorder due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Board finds that the earliest date of a PTSD diagnosis is March 15, 2012. Therefore, the claim cannot be granted as there is no evidence of a diagnosis prior to this date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, claustrophobia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder, is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD rendered him unemployable for the period from June 25, 2007 to January 3, 2011, and his claim for TDIU on an extraschedular basis was granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected major depression and PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for PTSD, effective date earlier than November 16, 2007, and service connection for lumbar spine spondylosis. The appeal was dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his conditions have not met the criteria for increased ratings or service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and whether hypertension and ED are related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, dental condition (treatable carious teeth), and PTSD. The denial is based on lack of new and material evidence for the low back disability claim and because the Veteran does not have a compensable dental disability or a compensable rating for his right wrist scar.

The July 6, 2006 decision denied service connection for various conditions including depression, tinnitus, stroke, colon cancer, gastrointestinal problems (irritable bowel syndrome), and Type II diabetes mellitus. The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in this decision.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for her acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, has been dismissed as she withdrew the appeal through her representative in January 2014.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent prior to April 21, 2012 and increased to 50 percent from that date through March 31, 2015. The Board found the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating in either period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of a 50% disability rating for PTSD was denied. The RO determined that the earliest date within one year of the October 2011 claim that it is factually ascertainable that the Veteran was experiencing moderate PTSD symptomatology warranting a 50% rating was March 23, 2011.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea. The left shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent, while the right ankle disability was also rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's diagnosed PTSD is causally related to his combat service in Vietnam, and this appeal for service connection is granted.

The Board is unsure if the Veteran meets the criteria for PTSD and notes that additional medical evaluation may help resolve this issue. The psychiatric history of the Veteran's service in the 1970s was not addressed, and VA treatment records since July 2011 are requested.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, cervical spine disability, and bilateral shoulder disability. The Veteran's claims were based on direct evidence of a link between his in-service experiences and the current disabilities.