PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2016

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and his atherosclerosis (heart condition) results in a combined rating of 60 percent. The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability from August 13, 2003.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and orthopedic conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain gainful employment since February 10, 2011. The Board has granted a TDIU rating from that date.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted with an initial rating of 30 percent prior to August 30, 2012 and a subsequent 70 percent thereafter. Service connection for thyroid cancer was denied.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's hypertension was not found to be related to herbicide exposure or his diabetes condition. For the acquired psychiatric disorder, there is no current diagnosis of PTSD based on credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressor actually occurred.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA mental health treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address the current severity of the Veteran's PTSD. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the inability to verify a non-combat stressor for PTSD. The TDIU claim will be deferred until the service connection issue is resolved.

The Veteran's PTSD was not productive of social impairment with deficiencies in family relations, judgment, or thinking prior to February 5, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain updated medical records and to schedule the Veteran for VA examinations. The Board will consider all evidence and legal criteria, including those set forth at 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f)(3), before making a final determination.

The Board has granted the Veteran's service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension, finding that these conditions are caused by his service-connected PTSD. The increased rating claim for PTSD is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in several areas, warranting a 70 percent disability rating prior to December 15, 2011. The left knee laxity claim was denied, but the Veteran's request for restoration of his 10% rating was granted.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD symptoms have not significantly changed and most closely approximated occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for DIC benefits due to service-connected PTSD and diabetes mellitus, as well as her claim for an effective date prior to May 30, 1997, for a 100% disability rating for PTSD on the basis of CUE in a March 2001 rating decision. The cause of death was found unrelated to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has granted service connection for Major Depressive Disorder, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether MDD was incurred in service. The issue of service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder remains pending and will be addressed upon verification of a stressor.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since October 1, 2013. The symptoms have included depression, anxiety, and sleep impairment.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent prior to August 27, 2014, and increased to 70 percent from that date forward.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since August 12, 2013. This represents the maximum schedular rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent prior to January 17, 2012, based on occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's PTSD has not resulted in total occupational and social impairment, as evidenced by his ability to maintain a relationship with his mother and roommate.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since September 30, 2009. The Board also found that the Veteran meets the criteria for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disorders.