PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claims are mixed, with some issues granted and others not. The primary issue is the evaluation for PTSD, which remains at 70 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection claims have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis of PTSD, and the diabetes mellitus claim was not granted due to lack of in-service manifestation within one year of separation from active duty.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to the submission of new evidence after a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) was issued in September 2015.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The case will be remanded to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and PTSD have been granted service connection, with the rating for PTSD being set at 70 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations and the provision of additional treatment records. The claims will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development to determine the current severity of his service-connected PTSD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have not resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a rating of 30 percent.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to May 23, 2013 for service connection of PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, which reflects the severity of his symptoms as described. The rating does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating due to the current evidence showing occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas but not total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was initially denied in 1999 due to lack of evidence. The Board has determined that the effective date should be July 24, 1998.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was not granted, and the earlier effective date claim for PTSD was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD and obtaining any outstanding medical records from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, benign hand tremors, and IBS, are found to be of such severity as to preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. As a result, the Board finds that he is entitled to a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (coronary artery disease and PTSD) rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially-gainful occupation from June 9, 2004. The Board granted an earlier effective date of June 9, 2004 for the TDIU.

The Veteran was previously denied a TDIU prior to September 5, 2012. The Board found that the service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation during this period.,Beginning September 5, 2012, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted a TDIU at this time.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent rating since August 27, 2010.

The Veteran's appeals for increased PTSD ratings and TDIU have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, residuals of a fracture of the left fifth toe, and chloracne. The claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.