PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and CAD, as well as his claim for a total rating based on individual disabilities prior to August 30, 2011. The decision is based on direct service connection without any presumption or secondary theory.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been rated at 50 percent since May 13, 2008. Since August 16, 2012, the rating has increased to 70 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent for the entire appeal period, effective from July 11, 2016. Service connection for a low back disorder was not established.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for residuals of a TBI, to include vertigo, oscillopsias, abnormal gait, and status post repair of perilymph fistulas is being remanded due to the need for additional development including VA examinations.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, the maximum available rating. The Board finds that his symptoms do not more nearly approximate the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded this case for additional development, including a comprehensive vocational assessment and functional capacity evaluation to determine the Veteran's ability to perform in his occupational field given his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70 percent evaluation prior to August 9, 2012.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is not attributable to service, including his presumed herbicide agent exposure. The right leg disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) were also denied as they are not related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and he is granted TDIU prior to September 17, 2012. The Board finds that the evidence supports a higher rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, were not found to be related to his military service. The Board also determined that the Veteran is not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD as defined by VA regulations and therefore denied service connection for PTSD. The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that his current unspecified depression disorder is related to his period of service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional treatment records and verifying the Veteran's claimed stressor. The Veteran is also to be provided with a new VA examination to assess his psychiatric condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated at 50 percent, which meets the criteria for a higher rating. However, his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, gastrointestinal disorder, and vision disorder were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or link to service.

The Veteran is entitled to a total disability rating for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to March 23, 2012.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder with alcohol and drug dependence, is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam and, therefore, is not entitled to presumptive service connection for any conditions based on herbicide exposure. The claims of service connection for various disabilities are denied as there is no evidence of a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and erectile dysfunction have rendered him unemployable for the periods from December 20, 2009 to December 20, 2015, and from March 1, 2016 onward. A Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is granted during these periods.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since December 4, 2007. The rating was increased to 50 percent effective from September 1, 2010.