PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2017

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and substance abuse disorder. The decision found that there was no credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor related to a traumatic event or circumstance, and thus element (2) of 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f) was not met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee and elbow disabilities, as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) have been denied. The claim of service connection for a prostate condition has not been reopened.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 30 percent disabling prior to February 17, 2011 and 70 percent disabling from that date until February 26, 2013. The Board finds the current ratings are appropriate based on the severity of his symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Sleep Apnea, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for Hypertension. The earlier effective date claim for PTSD was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was granted with an effective date of October 26, 2010. The diagnosis of PTSD occurred on April 25, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, arranging for examinations to assess the severity of his PTSD and chronic hepatitis C infection, and readjudicating the claims.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a current examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially to his death from heart conditions, including congestive heart failure and valvular heart disease. The appellant seeks presumptive service connection for her husband's death due to Agent Orange exposure, but the evidence does not support this claim.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, the maximum schedular rating available.,Service connection for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the tongue has been granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder resulted in significant occupational and social impairment, warranting a disability rating of 70 percent from August 30, 2005, to August 21, 2013.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to his active military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a traumatic brain injury was denied. The rating for PTSD has been granted at 50% since July 15, 2008 and at 70% since February 16, 2012.,A compensable rating for the right inguinal hernia prior to August 9, 2016 was denied. The Veteran is now rated at 10% for this condition from that date forward.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD with depressive disorder was granted effective June 24, 2011. The effective date could not be earlier due to the nature of her claims and the lack of a correction or modification in military records.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent prior to June 8, 2016 and at 70 percent from June 9, 2016. The claim for TDIU remains pending.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent and his PTSD results in a TDIU effective November 22, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case due to unavailability of medical records from Bell County Jail and Psychological Associates, P.A. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD has been productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent disability rating prior to July 19, 2016.

The Board denied the Appellant's request to reopen her claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, finding that new and material evidence had not been received to support the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to March 29, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA and private treatment records. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is intertwined with the PTSD evaluation issue.