PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left eye corneal scar and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) are related to service, granting these claims.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD due to the lack of credible supporting evidence that the alleged stressor occurred during active military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating of 70 percent is warranted. The lumbar spine disability remains rated as noncompensable, with no higher ratings granted. The TDIU claim was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since October 29, 2003. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating or TDIU due to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since December 23, 2008, effective from that date. The Board found the symptomatology more nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining in-service mental health records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if any other psychiatric condition is related to service. The Veteran's claim of PTSD will remain pending.

The Veteran's PTSD and depression have been evaluated based on their direct effects, without any presumption or secondary service connection. The Board found that the current disability ratings adequately reflect the severity of his symptoms.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable since April 28, 2006.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease was denied, with the RO increasing his disability rating to 30 percent effective December 23, 2010.,The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied as none of his service-connected disabilities meet the criteria for a combined rating of at least 70%.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination regarding whether the Veteran's diagnosed unspecified depressive disorder represents a 'neurobehavioral effect' of exposure to contaminated water during his service at Camp Lejeune from 1975 to 1976.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since February 7, 2007. This rating is in effect until May 22, 2012.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The decision found that there was no evidence of a verified in-service stressor and that any diagnosed psychiatric condition did not have a causal relationship to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied. The claims of entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral hands and right wrist disability are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on the severity of his symptoms.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied. The Board found that there was no credible supporting evidence of the claimed stressors and no current diagnosis of PTSD. For bilateral pes planus, the Board noted that the disability existed prior to active duty and did not worsen during service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is granted at a 70 percent evaluation from July 14, 2008 through April 15, 2012. Beginning on July 1, 2012, the Veteran's PTSD is granted at a 100 percent evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's conditions are due to in-service sexual assaults.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. The Board also found that the service-connected PTSD contributed substantially or materially to the cause of death, which is considered a grant of service connection.