PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's PTSD and left ankle disorder have been rated appropriately, with the PTSD receiving a 50% rating and the left ankle disorder receiving a 10% rating. The Veteran is not entitled to higher ratings for either condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's major depressive disorder and PTSD are not related to his service-connected fibromyalgia, and therefore cannot be granted secondary service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed mental health conditions, as well as whether they are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but not by total occupational and social impairment. The Board granted a rating of 70 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and readjudicating the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since the initial grant of service connection. The Board found that his symptoms have not met the criteria for a higher rating, as they do not demonstrate occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain updated treatment records and provide the Veteran with an examination to determine if his acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service, including whether it was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his VA and SSA records, including a private psychological examination report from June 2014. The case will be reconsidered after these updates.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression is rated at 70 percent disabling beginning on November 25, 2014. The claim for service connection for right ear perforated tympanic membrane has been reopened and new evidence received raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD, but finds that there is no valid diagnosis of PTSD and therefore denies the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a rating of 70 percent.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected PTSD has been granted.

The Veteran is not entitled to a TDIU from October 10, 2014 to January 2, 2015 because the service-connected PTSD alone does not meet the criteria for a TDIU as he was already receiving a 100% disability rating for this condition. The other service-connected conditions do not provide additional unemployability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed psychiatric conditions are not related to his active service and denied both claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a shaving disorder has been withdrawn. The claim for reopening of diabetes mellitus was reopened based on new and material evidence, but service connection is not granted due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service.,Service connection for PTSD was denied as the claimed in-service stressor could not be verified.

The Board has determined that the reduction in the rating for PTSD from 70% to 30% was not proper and therefore, the prior rating is restored.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and arranging for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as there is no legal basis for the assignment of a schedular evaluation higher than the current 10 percent for tinnitus. The issues of PTSD, tremors, hearing loss, and prostate cancer are being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD with dysthymic disorder resulted in social and occupational impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but did not meet the criteria for total occupational and social impairment. The Board granted an initial rating of 50 percent.