PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not of such a nature and severity as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral neuropathy, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions preclude his ability to work.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and TDIU should be remanded due to new evidence received since the September 2014 supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran's headaches are considered a symptom of his service-connected chronic fatigue syndrome. The claim for PTSD is remanded as the VA examiner did not consider all in-service stressors and provide an adequate opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to missing records and need for further examination. The claims will be reconsidered with additional evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's testimony and lay statements provide a satisfactory account of his in-service stressors and link his current PTSD to those events. The decision is based on the benefit-of-the-doubt doctrine.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied in October 2011, and the effective date of service connection is set at September 19, 2013.

Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, is granted.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for sinusitis with hypertrophic rhinitis remains February 15, 2013.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for a waiver of overpayment of VA pension benefits, finding that recovery was not against equity and good conscience due to minimal fault on the Veteran's part and no financial hardship.

The Veteran was not in receipt of a 100% disability evaluation for at least 8 continuous years prior to his death, so he did not qualify for enhanced DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1311(a)(2).

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed psychological disorder and therefore, service connection for an acquired psychological disorder is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as related to in-service stressors, including fear of hostile military activity. The Board also found that the evidence supports a grant of service connection for PTSD due to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded for further examination. Diabetes mellitus remains at 20% disability rating and TDIU is also on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened and is being remanded. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder and PTSD, as well as residuals of a left hand injury, is also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral shoulder disability, PTSD, and hypertension. The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability is related to his military service, his PTSD is linked to in-service stressors, and his hypertension does not appear to be related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and adjustment disorder. The evidence now shows a possible link between the Veteran's psychiatric condition and his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to March 21, 2013 resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as depressed mood, chronic sleep impairment, and difficulty establishing effective work and social relationships. The Board denied a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of her claimed disabilities, including bilateral shin splints, flat feet, ingrown toenails, and residuals of a tubal ligation. The Veteran is also being asked to provide more information about her psychiatric disability, which she claims as PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD is rated at 100 percent since March 31, 2006.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, consisting of PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, does not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 70 percent.