PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for an earlier effective date for erectile dysfunction. The Board is now remanding the case for a Travel Board hearing regarding the initial increased rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to address his claims for service connection for PTSD and anxiety disorder, as well as tremors potentially related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and migraines are not shown to result in permanent disability, and the Board finds that the criteria for a permanent and total rating under 38 C.F.R. § 3.340 for these conditions are not met.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine the existence and etiology of the Veteran's PTSD, as well as whether any diagnosed psychiatric disorder is related to service. The Veteran must participate in this process.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evidentiary development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing before the Board.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for PTSD and an unspecified depressive disorder, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service. The cervical spine disability and thoracolumbar spine disability claims remain pending.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, diabetes mellitus Type II, erectile dysfunction, coronary artery disease, gluteal cleft scar, and facial scar prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board grants the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting the grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70% rating, effective from May 28, 2013. The issue of service connection for a back disorder has been withdrawn by the Veteran. The TDIU claim remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case for a video-conference Board hearing due to the Veteran's request and is not ready to make a decision on whether new evidence supports reopening his claim of service connection for PTSD.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability was not manifest in service and is not otherwise etiologically related to such service. Therefore, his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and adjustment disorder with depressed mood, is not related to his active service or service-connected residuals of a TBI. The preponderance of evidence does not support the claim.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for service connection of PTSD, TDIU, and DEA are denied. The appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine disability is also denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent from August 1, 2011. The appeal for a higher rating and an earlier effective date are denied.,The earliest possible effective date of August 1, 2011, for the grant of a 70 percent rating for PTSD is granted. An earlier effective date is not warranted as there is no evidence of record that could be construed as a claim prior to this date.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has reopened the service connection claims for a back disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, and hypertension. The claim for service connection for PTSD is still pending as new evidence was submitted but does not establish a current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been rated at 10 percent prior to September 19, 2012 and at 30 percent thereafter. The current rating adequately reflects the severity of his disability.

The Board has granted a rating of 70 percent for PTSD, the highest available under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The Veteran's PTSD is characterized by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to symptoms such as suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals, near-continuous panic or depression affecting ability to function independently, appropriate and effectively, and impaired impulse control.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining mental health treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities are related to his military service.