PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD is at least as likely as not etiologically related to events during his active duty service, and the Board finds that he should be granted service connection for PTSD.

The Board found that an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and substance abuse disorder, was not manifest during service or within one year of service. The preponderance of the evidence fails to establish a link between any current psychiatric condition and service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD symptoms do not more nearly approximate total occupational and social impairment, so the claim for a higher initial rating remains in appellate status.

The Veteran's PTSD, thoracolumbar spine disability, and right hand disability are rated at their current levels. The claim for service connection of a left ankle disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to November 21, 2014 was manifested by occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks, chronic sleep impairment, and some difficulty concentrating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder related to service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU and his service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing before a Veterans Law Judge of the Board at the RO. The Veteran's appeal is now pending again due to scheduling issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric conditions, including PTSD and depressive disorder, preexisted service. The in-service stressors did not cause or permanently aggravate these conditions beyond their natural progression.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, anal fistulas, gall bladder disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and hepatitis C were not incurred in or caused by active service. The back disability was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to allow for additional development, including the review of VA psychiatric treatment records and a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to June 10, 2013 is dismissed as moot due to the assignment of a total schedular rating for PTSD and concurrent award of SMC at the housebound rate.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective July 9, 2014. The TDIU claim was also granted.

The Veteran's TBI residuals are rated at 40 percent, effective December 19, 2008. The PTSD rating remains at 50 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional development of his claims file.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent since September 10, 2013. The Board found that the disability most closely approximated occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or causal relationship to service. The Veteran's complaints were not supported by objective medical findings.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated as 10 percent since December 23, 2001 and increased to 30 percent effective August 31, 2010. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to August 31, 2010 approximated a 70% disability rating, but since then have only approximated a 30% disability rating. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD from March 13, 2013, but denied the request for an initial rating higher than 50 percent prior to that date.