PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2017

The Veteran seeks service connection for PTSD and depressive disorder. The Board has ordered a remand to investigate in-service stressors, provide a VA examination, and determine the etiology of any diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected and his PTSD disability rating is increased to 50 percent. The Veteran's request for TDIU prior to October 16, 2013 is granted.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, claimed as PTSD, is not related to service and the Board finds that it was not incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's reported in-service stressor involving a grenade explosion at Fort Knox is credible and supported by corroborating evidence. The Veteran was diagnosed with PTSD based on this in-service stressor, and there is no clear and convincing evidence to contradict it. Therefore, service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU, nor have they been shown to preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need to obtain his employment information from his former employer, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The RO will attempt to retrieve these records from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the percentage requirement for a TDIU prior to September 20, 2016. The most probative evidence does not reflect that he was unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied, but he is granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, diagnosed as trauma related anxiety.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a new VA examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability and its impact on his ability to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. The disability did not result in total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's SMC claim for aid and attendance/housebound was denied as he did not have a service-connected disability that caused him to be in need of regular aid and attendance or housebound. The cause of his need for aid and attendance was due to his nonservice-connected leukemia.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by her attorney, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for a higher rating for PTSD. The Board dismissed the appeal as there is no longer an active issue.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a video conference hearing. The issues of service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are still pending.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back condition and PTSD, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service. Service connection was denied for sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is not sufficient to render him unable to obtain or maintain a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disorders are etiologically related to his period of military service, and therefore grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD was found to have its onset in service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition. The claims of service connection for headaches and bilateral knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The claims of service connection for PTSD, sleep apnea, and an increased rating for lumbar strain are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD with Depression is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.