PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and tinnitus, meet the criteria for a TDIU due to their combined rating of 60 percent. The Board finds that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and physical conditions, render him unemployable in light of his educational and occupational history. The Board finds the evidence at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to all service-connected disorders.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since March 13, 2008 and he is entitled to a TDIU rating effective that date.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with a history of schizophrenia, paranoid type, was rated at 30 percent prior to May 31, 2009 and at 70 percent from that date. The appeal is denied as the rating criteria are adequate for all times pertinent to this appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected schizophrenia with PTSD contributed to his death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. As a result, the DIC claim is moot.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no credible evidence to support the claimed in-service stressor, and thus his diagnosis does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and SSA disability claim information. The claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD and secondary schizophrenia are found to be related to his service, specifically fear of hostile military activity during his time in the field artillery battalion. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and therefore, service connection is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, effective January 26, 2005. The rating was granted based on the criteria for a 30 percent evaluation under Diagnostic Code 9411 of the Rating Schedule.

The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and MDD. The Veteran's claimed stressors were not verified, and his diagnoses are not linked to service.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is denied as a matter of law due to his incarceration in prison with a life sentence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to his death from pneumonia and heart disease. The claim for DIC benefits is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened and granted with an effective date of August 27, 2008. The Board finds that the actual date of receipt of the new claim is August 22, 2008, which is earlier than the assigned effective date.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private psychiatric treatment records, Social Security Administration (SSA) records, and a VA examination to assess the current nature, extent, and severity of his PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, major depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, and PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of her medical records and clarification of her National Guard service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development including obtaining service treatment records and personnel records, verifying stressors, and scheduling a psychiatric examination. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD and lumbar spine degenerative disc disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as moot since the appeal for a TDIU after July 10, 2008, is not supported by legal merit. The Veteran was granted TDIU from June 9, 2008 to July 9, 2008.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and GERD, finding that there was insufficient evidence to establish a stressor related to basic training or any other in-service event. The diagnoses of other acquired psychiatric disorders were not shown to have begun during active duty.