PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since October 27, 2009.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection and a 70% disability rating for PTSD was assigned effective from December 20, 2012. The decision also addressed the initial rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a headache disability was denied in March 2004 and again in May 2006. New evidence received since the May 2006 decision does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for joint pain disability was denied in March 2004 and again in May 2006. New evidence received since the May 2006 decision raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied in September 2004. New and material evidence has been received, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 10 percent since the grant of service connection, reflecting occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Veteran's L4-S1 fusion surgery required six months of convalescence, but further doctor-mandated convalescence was not demonstrated and the surgery did not result in severe postoperative residuals or immobilization. The criteria for a temporary total disability rating beyond February 29, 2008 based on need for convalescence following surgical treatment were not met.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD with bipolar disorder disability and for updated treatment records.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and his claimed adjustment disorder. The issues of service connection for both conditions will be reconsidered after any new evidence is obtained.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment prior to December 9, 2011.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including searching for court martial records and other relevant evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, are not of such severity as to prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to clarify whether the Veteran meets the criteria for PTSD and to determine if his current acquired psychiatric disabilities are related to service. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to provide a new VA compensation examination for his PTSD and obtain outstanding treatment records. The claim of entitlement to an initial rating higher than 50 percent for PTSD will be readjudicated after the additional development.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of his initial claim in October 29, 2007. The rating is based on occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to symptoms such as sleep disturbance, intrusive thoughts, near-continuous depression, impaired impulse control, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances including at work, and an inability to establish effective relationships.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claim of service connection for PTSD and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The Veteran experienced a personal assault during active service, which he believes caused or contributed to his PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision. The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of continuity of symptomatology since service and the current hearing loss did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's TBI, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and post traumatic headaches are all rated at their maximum levels. The Veteran is granted a higher initial evaluation for his PTSD from July 29, 2010 to December 14, 2011, and since December 15, 2011. He is also granted TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded to the Montgomery, Alabama RO for further development.

The Board has granted a 50 percent initial disability rating for PTSD for the entire appeal period, finding that the severity of symptoms more nearly approximates reduced reliability and productivity due to depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, sleep disturbance, disturbances in motivation, poor concentration, impairment of short term memory, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, and difficulty establishing effective work and social relationships.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability has been shown to be productive of no more than occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas including work, school, his relationship with his wife, and mood due to symptoms including Iraq-related recurrent nightmares and intrusive thoughts; anxiety; hypervigilance with paranoia; obsessive compulsive behavior including obsessions surrounding order and symmetry and counting rituals involving multiples of three which interfere with routine activities; panic attacks; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances associated with work and school.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to service-connected disabilities, specifically PTSD and diabetes mellitus. The Board grants a TDIU for the entire appellate period.