PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD should be remanded due to inadequate examination and need for a new opinion using DSM-IV criteria.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, headaches, hearing loss, and vertigo. The combined effect of these conditions renders him unable to obtain and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and a gunshot wound to the right knee, do not render him unemployable. The Board finds that he is capable of performing sedentary work such as clerical or office tasks.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to February 7, 2013 did not warrant a rating in excess of 50 percent and he was not entitled to TDIU prior to that date.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to new evidence being added and a hearing request from the appellant. The service connection issue is pending as it relates to substitution.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for a new psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetic retinopathy has been reopened and granted. The Veteran is also granted a rating of 50 percent for PTSD, but denied higher ratings for other conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, has already been granted by a previous rating decision. The appeal is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran is granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent for PTSD from December 6, 1999 to March 20, 2012.,The Veteran's TDIU is also granted effective August 12, 2010.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding service connection for PTSD, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and increased rating for right shoulder strain.

The Veteran's PTSD is characterized by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a rating of 50 percent prior to October 22, 2018.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including MDD and PTSD, are granted as service connected. The Board found that the evidence is in equipoise on whether the conditions are related to active service.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disorder, neck disorder, and right ankle disorder. The Veteran's current conditions were not related to his military service.,Service connection for PTSD was also denied as the claimed stressors could not be verified.

The Veteran's PTSD with secondary polysubstance abuse is rated at 70 percent since December 31, 2015. The Board found that the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating of 100 percent due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has decided the claim is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion and needs further development, including a psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for gall bladder removal with gangrene, to include secondary conditions of liver and genitourinary disabilities, pancreatitis; acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD); and, hernia/scars of the abdomen based on treatment at VA Medical Centers in Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan is denied due to lack of evidence showing negligence or carelessness by VA.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, CAD, and thoracolumbar spine strain, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for her service-connected PTSD is dismissed as a free-standing claim, which is not permissible due to the finality of previous rating decisions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate consideration of the Veteran's reported in-service personal assaults and other evidence, including a private PTSD evaluation. The Veteran is requested to provide additional evidence or inform VA about potential sources of such evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease is granted. The claims for acquired psychiatric disorder, kidney cancer, and skin cancer are remanded.