PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since June 29, 2007. The claim for a higher initial rating is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension and PTSD have not been found to be related to service or a service-connected disability. The Veteran's PTSD has resulted in a rating of 50 percent since October 12, 2012.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA and SSA records and readjudicating the claim in light of additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis A and B, hypertension, migraine headaches, and hepatitis C have been denied. The initial rating claim for hypertension has also been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially or materially to his death. The appellant contends that the Veteran's suicide ideation and reckless behavior with his health caused his death.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted as service-connected, with the onset during service. The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 50 percent disabling.,Service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine remains pending due to lack of final adjudication.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of PTSD and insufficient evidence to establish service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of PTSD and credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor, thus meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board is requesting an independent assessment from the Joint Services Records Research Center to verify a November 1968 commendation letter that supports the Veteran's claim for PTSD. The Veteran must provide evidence of a verified stressor in order to reopen his service connection claim.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, dissociative disorder, dysthymia, and affective disorder. The Veteran's statements, post-service medical records, and behavior are consistent with those factors as found in 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f).

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date and increased ratings for PTSD was denied. The TDIU claim from April 21, 2009 to April 8, 2012 is granted.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted effective May 18, 2005, based on his service-connected PTSD and a duodenal ulcer. The effective date is the earliest date on which it is factually ascertainable that an increase in disability had occurred.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and requesting authorization to obtain non-VA clinical records. The TDIU issue is being referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and panic disorder with agoraphobia, is granted service connection as secondary to a service-connected disability of the left eye with chronic foreign body sensation and headaches.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since April 4, 2006. The rating is based on occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as panic attacks, memory impairment, depression, difficulty with relationships, and occasional mild hallucinations.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent disabling, effective January 15, 2011. The rating reflects significant impairment in work and social functioning.

The Board denied a higher evaluation for PTSD prior to April 1, 2010 and also denied the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD was denied. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as his symptoms do not result in total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since October 10, 2008 and the Board finds that his symptoms have continued to meet the criteria for a higher rating.,For the period prior to October 10, 2008, the Veteran's PTSD was rated as 30 percent disabling.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, are related to service. The claim is granted.