PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's TBI residuals are rated at 40 percent, effective December 19, 2008. The PTSD rating remains at 50 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional development of his claims file.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent since September 10, 2013. The Board found that the disability most closely approximated occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or causal relationship to service. The Veteran's complaints were not supported by objective medical findings.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated as 10 percent since December 23, 2001 and increased to 30 percent effective August 31, 2010. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to August 31, 2010 approximated a 70% disability rating, but since then have only approximated a 30% disability rating. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is addressed in the REMAND portion.

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 Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD from March 13, 2013, but denied the request for an initial rating higher than 50 percent prior to that date.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service complaints of back pain. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA medical opinions regarding the etiology of his PTSD, hypertension, and sleep apnea.

The Board found that the appellant's character of discharge for his period of service from February 1965 to October 1967 was a bar to VA benefits. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is denied as there is no evidence showing the current conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's PTSD was found to have caused occupational and social impairment, but not severe enough for a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the failure to appear at a scheduled hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after the Veteran attends the new hearing.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, specifically PTSD, more nearly approximates the criteria for a 70 percent rating due to symptoms such as suicidal ideation, inability to establish and maintain effective relations, near-continuous depression, and difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor was not due to his own willful misconduct. Therefore, service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the initial rating for PTSD prior to April 29, 2011.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted. The other service-connected conditions are also rated appropriately.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, was denied as there is no current diagnosis of such. The claim for bilateral hearing loss did not result in any decision.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board has determined that a higher rating of 70 percent is warranted based on the severity and impact of her symptoms.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, warranting a grant of TDIU benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private and VA psychiatric treatment records from 1970 to present, corroborating the Veteran's reported stressor incident involving a downed plane, and scheduling the Veteran for a VA psychiatric examination.