PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD was found to be productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 30 percent evaluation from January 10, 2006 to January 5, 2010. From January 6, 2010 to October 6, 2011, the Veteran's PTSD was found not productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity warranting a 50 percent evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding VA treatment records and a mental hospitalization report. The Veteran's appeal will be reconsidered after these records are obtained.

The Board found no evidence of a service-connected psychiatric disability, specifically PTSD or depressive disorder, and concluded that the Veteran's current mental health issues are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since the effective date of service connection. The Board granted entitlement to a TDIU on an extraschedular basis, with an effective date of February 20, 2008.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for PTSD is dismissed as his July 2005 Board decision is final and he cannot obtain an effective date earlier than the reopened claim's application date.

The Board found that the Veteran did not sustain an in-service personal assault, and thus her claims for PTSD and an eating disorder are denied.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated based on the criteria for mental disorders, with a current rating of 70 percent from August 27, 2009. The appeal is denied as the Veteran does not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by occupational and social impairment with no greater than an occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, although generally functioning satisfactorily.

The Veteran's inpatient treatment for a service-connected disability did not exceed 21 consecutive days, thus the criteria for a temporary total evaluation due to hospital treatment were not met.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss during service or for many years after discharge, and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss. The respiratory disorder claim was also denied as there is no indication of exposure to herbicides or other known risk factors. Service connection for PTSD was not granted due to lack of in-service diagnosis.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD was not manifested by total occupational and social impairment, resulting in a denial of the higher initial rating request.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent prior to May 11, 2011 and at 70 percent thereafter. The Board finds that a remand is necessary for further development including a new VA examination and consideration of the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and for further examinations of his PTSD, bilateral knee disabilities, and left wrist disability. The RO will then review the expanded record and readjudicate the issues on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, scheduling a VA examination to assess PTSD severity, and addressing the Veteran's claim of hearing loss. The appeal is not yet decided.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by a flattened or constricted affect, rapid or pressured speech, memory impairment, flashbacks, sleep disturbances, and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores primarily of 55 and below. The Board has determined that the criteria for a higher initial rating of 50 percent are met.

The Veteran's initial 30 percent rating for PTSD remains unchanged, but his claim is now pending due to new evidence submitted after the expiration of the appeal period. The case has been remanded for further development including a VA examination.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have caused reduced reliability and productivity, but not to the extent that would warrant a higher rating. The current disability is rated at 50 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks occurring weekly or less often, and chronic sleep impairment. The lowest GAF score during the appellate period was 68.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) is denied as he does not meet the criteria under VA regulations, specifically failing to have a single service-connected disability rated at 100% and additional disabilities independently ratable at 60%.

The Veteran's PTSD with bipolar disorder has not met the criteria for a higher rating than 50 percent, as his symptoms have not caused occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.