PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's PTSD with major depression and panic disorder has been rated at 50 percent since June 20, 2013. The rating is based on the severity of symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, a skin disability, a left knee disability, stable angina, prostate disability, heart disability other than stable angina (includes cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, and hypertensive heart disease), hypertension, and right knee disability. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents is established based on his service in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for a new VA psychiatric examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's PTSD.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD should be February 5, 1976, but no earlier. This decision is based on the Veteran's initial claim in 1976 and the subsequent granting of service connection based on newly received service personnel records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, and onychomycosis of both feet to further develop the evidence. The claims are currently denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his PTSD and depression.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder caused occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, preventing him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment throughout the period on appeal. The Board found that he met the schedular rating criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and panic disorder without agoraphobia have resulted in reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent rating. The disability has not caused deficiencies in most areas as required for higher ratings.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, by themselves or in concert, have not been sufficient at any time during the period of the claim to render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disability, specifically PTSD, and his hypertension is not service-connected. The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis within one year of separation from active service.

The Board finds that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran currently has PTSD and depression that are at least as likely as not etiologically related to his service, including witnessing routine physical abuse and humiliation of soldiers and encountering a hurricane while aboard the USS Luce. As such, service connection for PTSD and depression is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since September 2012, effective from March 22, 2006.,The Board also granted TDIU based on the service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosed psychiatric disorders are not etiologically related to his active duty service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since January 14, 2015. The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of stressor events and scheduling a VA examination if the stressor is confirmed.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are attributable to his active service, and the Board finds that he meets the criteria for service connection. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to the failure to appear for a scheduled Travel Board hearing. The case will be rescheduled and the Veteran will be provided with one last opportunity to be heard.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and/or schizoaffective disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development.