PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2017

The Board has found no credible supporting evidence for the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor, and thus cannot establish service connection for PTSD or Major Depression.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to a decision being made by the Board.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and major depression, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are causally related to in-service personal assaults.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity during the period from September 19, 2003 through January 9, 2008. The Board denied an evaluation in excess of 50 percent for this period.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, is found to be related to his military service.,It is also determined that the Veteran's headaches are secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as secondary to PTSD. The Veteran's current diagnosis of hypertension is linked by competent and credible medical opinion to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and determined that new and material evidence has been received. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, meeting VA's definition of a hearing loss disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. Service connection for PTSD with depressive disorder, NOS, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and neurological disabilities of the left upper extremity and both lower extremities is granted.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety disorder, has been rated at 10 percent since May 4, 2009. The issue of service connection for chronic nasal obstruction and a deviated septum disability due to residuals of a nose fracture is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent disabling, effective February 27, 2010. The rating agency has determined that the Veteran's PTSD warrants a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for coronary artery disease and PTSD were denied as there was no indication of a claim prior to December 7, 2009.,Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer are not presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and an unspecified neurocognitive disorder is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to clarify his current diagnoses.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD and a neurocognitive disorder, has been reopened. The case is REMANDED to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the claimed conditions and to readjudicate the claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus, PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss. The maximum schedular rating of 10 percent was assigned for each condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical records, particularly those from post-1991 treatment. The Veteran is asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain his private mental health treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD warrants a 70 percent rating for the entire appeal period, and his TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The examiner is asked to address whether the conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be incurred in service, while the acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is not related to service. The TDIU claim remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining employment history and income information from the Veteran, verifying his incarceration status, and scheduling a PTSD examination to evaluate the impact of his service-connected PTSD on his employability.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and depression render him unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU effective from March 10, 2010.