PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's skin rash, diagnosed in October 2013, is not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking it to service or herbicide exposure.,Bilateral hearing loss was rated at 0% prior to October 24, 2015. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating remains pending and will be remanded.,PTSD symptoms include depression, anxiety, and impaired social functioning. A 30% rating is granted based on these symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of VA and private treatment records, SSA records, and a detailed statement regarding his assault stressor. The Veteran will be asked to provide these documents.

The Veteran's PTSD has worsened since his last VA examination, and a new evaluation is needed to determine the current severity of his condition.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder other than major depressive disorder, to include PTSD, needs further examination and evaluation. The case is being sent back to VA for a more complete medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to November 17, 2008 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied. The Board found that there is no basis for assigning an earlier effective date as the denial in the December 2006 final rating decision precludes such a determination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD and his request for TDIU are both being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence for service connection of PTSD and other acquired psychiatric disorders. The Veteran needs to provide more information about his claimed stressors, and a VA examination is required to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disorder is related to active duty service.

The Veteran's hearing request for a TDIU claim was considered withdrawn due to the incorrect address. The AOJ is instructed to attempt once more to obtain relevant records from FCI Beckley, including treatment records and employment information.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and no higher. The Board finds that the Veteran's symptoms are more closely approximating a 70 percent rating due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective January 7, 2016. This rating reflects the severity of his symptoms and impairment in most areas.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for sleep apnea was granted. Service connection for sleep apnea secondary to asthma is also granted. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD, as it is unclear whether there is a current diagnosis and if so, whether it is related to an in-service stressor or aggravated by his service-connected sleep apnea.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not result in total occupational and social impairment, but they cause significant impairments in work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The Board denied an initial rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD. However, the Veteran was granted a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities precluding him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating and individual unemployability is remanded due to the need for updated medical records and a VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD was withdrawn. His right ankle condition is granted as service-connected, but the lumbosacral spine DDD with mild disc bulge at L4-L5 and L5 S1 does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, asthma (also claimed as shortness of breath), and chronic fatigue syndrome are remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, left foot disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was granted but the issue is recharacterized as PTSD.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (likely PTSD) is granted.

Service connection for a bilateral foot condition, to include pes planus is granted. Entitlement to an initial evaluation of 10 percent disabling for status post small bowel obstruction is also granted. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, to include depression and PTSD, is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during active service and grants entitlement to service connection for tinnitus. The issues of an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete VA treatment records and a need for further examination regarding the Veteran's diagnosed allergic rhinitis. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all outstanding VA treatment records, request private medical records if necessary, and provide another opportunity for the Veteran to submit additional evidence.