PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2016

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50% prior to December 1, 2009 and increased to 70% as of June 9, 2014. The Veteran is also granted TDIU effective June 9, 2014.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disorders, musculoskeletal issues, eye problems, and gastrointestinal issues. The Board has determined that further medical examination and opinion are necessary to address the nature and etiology of these claims.,The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus have also been remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since November 20, 2009. The Board also granted a TDIU from February 1 to April 6, 2010.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The VA examiner found the current 70 percent evaluation to be accurate based on the Veteran's level of impairment.

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD prior to April 3, 2013 and also found that the Veteran is entitled to TDIU based on his service-connected disability.

The Veteran's PTSD has been found to cause occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent rating.

The Veteran's conditions, including diabetes and its related complications, are not service connected. The Board denied the claims for service connection based on lack of evidence showing onset or causation in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The evidence provided since the last denial did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, stomach disorder, high cholesterol, and an eye disorder prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's PTSD is characterized by frequent panic attacks, chronic sleep impairment with nightmares and night sweats, anxiety, and difficulty in maintaining social relationships. The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board grants a TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's PTSD was initially rated at 30 percent and has been granted an increased evaluation to 50 percent for the period prior to August 12, 2013, and to 70 percent beginning on that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability, including impingement syndrome and bursitis, is not related to his period of active military service. The lumbar spine disability was also denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year thereafter. Service connection for PTSD was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a supplemental opinion from the March 2014 VA examiner to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are related to his service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. His diabetes mellitus remains rated at 40 percent, and his diabetic retinopathy with early cataract changes is rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 50 percent disabling, and the Board finds that it does not more nearly approximate the criteria for a higher rating at any point during the appeal period. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are not service connected.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is indicated to cause occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 50 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, which reflects occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and bilateral foot disorder are not service-connected.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks, warranting a 30 percent disability rating prior to February 11, 2015. For the period beginning on February 11, 2015, his PTSD did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Veteran's PTSD disability is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that it more closely approximates occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as anxiety; depression; chronic insomnia with nightmares; impaired concentration and memory, decreased motivation, hypervigilance, irritability, flashbacks and reexperiencing traumatic events, avoidance behaviors, panic attacks, and impaired social and occupational functioning resulting in difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships. Therefore, an initial rating of 50 percent is granted.