PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and determined that new and material evidence has been received. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, meeting VA's definition of a hearing loss disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. Service connection for PTSD with depressive disorder, NOS, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and neurological disabilities of the left upper extremity and both lower extremities is granted.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety disorder, has been rated at 10 percent since May 4, 2009. The issue of service connection for chronic nasal obstruction and a deviated septum disability due to residuals of a nose fracture is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent disabling, effective February 27, 2010. The rating agency has determined that the Veteran's PTSD warrants a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for coronary artery disease and PTSD were denied as there was no indication of a claim prior to December 7, 2009.,Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer are not presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and an unspecified neurocognitive disorder is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to clarify his current diagnoses.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD and a neurocognitive disorder, has been reopened. The case is REMANDED to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the claimed conditions and to readjudicate the claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus, PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss. The maximum schedular rating of 10 percent was assigned for each condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical records, particularly those from post-1991 treatment. The Veteran is asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain his private mental health treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD warrants a 70 percent rating for the entire appeal period, and his TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The examiner is asked to address whether the conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

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

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be incurred in service, while the acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is not related to service. The TDIU claim remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining employment history and income information from the Veteran, verifying his incarceration status, and scheduling a PTSD examination to evaluate the impact of his service-connected PTSD on his employability.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and depression render him unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU effective from March 10, 2010.

The Veteran's asthma, acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, anxiety, and depression), back disability, cervical spine disability, heart disability, bilateral ankle disability, left foot disability, right foot disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral shoulder disability are not service connected. The Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss were found to be aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including searching for outpatient mental health records from Ireland Army Hospital at Fort Knox and the 209th General Dispensary in Germany. The case will also be reviewed to determine if a VA examination is needed.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's mental health disabilities, including major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to April 29, 2010. From that date until the present, his PTSD alone does not meet the criteria for a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination addressing the combined impact of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a TDIU rating due to service-connected PTSD has been denied as there is no factual basis to support such a determination.