PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since the citation date, but is now granted a higher rating of 70 percent effective from July 29, 2016.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent prior to May 12, 2014 and 30 percent thereafter. The right foot chronic strain is rated at 20 percent.,PTSD symptoms include anxiety, suspiciousness, chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss, flattened affect, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since the award of service connection, which is considered a full grant of his appeal for an initial rating.

The Veteran's claims for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as sleep apnea, seizure disorder, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression), left leg disability, and right ear hearing loss have been denied due to lack of evidence establishing service connection.,Service connection has not been established for any of the conditions listed.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU from July 2012 due to the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and ischemic heart disease, preventing him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining service personnel and medical records, as well as a VA opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disability. The Veteran's cause of death is being reviewed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a valid diagnosis of PTSD and his diagnosed psychiatric disorders are not etiologically related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a 50% or higher evaluation based on the severity of his impairment. For TDIU, the Veteran meets the schedular requirements with combined service-connected disability ratings totaling 80%, but the evidence does not show he is unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, thus meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities of PTSD, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss result in unemployability due to their impact on his occupational functioning.

The Veteran's tinnitus, right hip strain, PTSD, and mood disorder have been granted service connection. The rating for the right hip strain has been increased to 10 percent.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a left shoulder condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and panic disorder, has been granted. The Veteran was diagnosed with labral tear with degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder during his military service and continues to experience symptoms related to this diagnosis. His other mental health conditions are also considered as part of his claim.

The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of PTSD related to service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD has caused reduced reliability and productivity, but not to the extent that it would warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of in-service noise exposure causing her current tinnitus, and therefore, service connection cannot be granted. For TDIU prior to February 10, 2015, the Veteran's combined disability rating did not meet the percentage requirements for TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). The Board also found that her service-connected disabilities do not render her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, which reflects occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating as he does not meet the criteria for a 70 or 100 percent disability evaluation.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, resulting in its dismissal.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative changes and PTSD, but denied service connection for a left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a new VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD. The TDIU claim will also be developed.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to earlier effective dates for service connection for PTSD and tinnitus were denied as the earliest date of receipt of claim is later than the date entitlement arose.