PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, or a shoulder disability.

The Veteran's PTSD, right upper extremity painful scar, right upper extremity burn scar, back burn scar, and left upper extremity burn scar have been evaluated based on their respective diagnostic codes. The appeals for increased ratings are denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating under any applicable criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and bipolar disorder, were not incurred or aggravated during his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder, respiratory disability, eye disability, left-sided nerve disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral foot disabilities. The decision was based on the appellant's National Guard service rather than active duty at Ground Zero.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and the Board found that this rating adequately reflects his symptoms of reduced reliability and productivity. The TDIU claim was also denied as there were no findings indicating total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional VA and private medical records, as well as service personnel records. The appellant's claims will be readjudicated based on the updated evidence.

The Board has ordered additional development due to incomplete records and an inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's hypertension and acquired psychiatric disability claims are being remanded for further action.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since June 7, 2007. The VA examiners have consistently found that the condition causes occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims will be adjudicated again based on this new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder and PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development. The VA examiner found no current psychiatric diagnosis but noted previous diagnoses of anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD and alcohol use disorder are currently evaluated at a 30 percent rating. The evidence does not show that the symptoms more closely approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current vitiligo and left shin dermatitis were not manifest in service and are unrelated to service.,The Veteran's current psychiatric disability, including PTSD, was not manifest in service, is unrelated to service, and was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent for the period prior to September 3, 2013 and at 70 percent beginning from that date. The Board has granted a higher rating of 70 percent effective September 3, 2013.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent, and his TDIU claim is dismissed as moot due to the total schedular rating.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and did not manifest one during the pendency of the appeal, thus denying service connection for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's PTSD and determine if any non-PTSD psychiatric disorders are caused by or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. The TDIU claim is also held in abeyance pending resolution of the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective February 13, 2009. Hearing loss of the right ear is service connected and hearing loss of the left ear warrants a non-compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing the Veteran with a VA examination to determine if she has an acquired psychiatric disorder that may be related to her military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives. The case will be readjudicated after obtaining all outstanding VA treatment records and arranging for a PTSD examination.

The Board denied service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Bipolar Disorder (granted), Depressive Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder, and Alcohol Induced Psychosis. The decision is mixed as some conditions were granted while others were denied.