PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the Veteran's attorney requested a withdrawal of the appeal in November 2012.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, effective January 21, 2009. His bilateral hearing loss remains noncompensable.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression, as secondary to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression, which are service-connected conditions, contributed to his death by suicide. The medical evidence supports this conclusion.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for a heart disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeal seeking service connection for erectile dysfunction is held in abeyance.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate examination and new evidence received after the initial decision.

The Veteran is seeking a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities. The Board has determined that additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion regarding the impact of his service-connected conditions on his employability, is necessary.

The Board found that a chronic back disability was not incurred or aggravated as a result of active service and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted as his lay testimony alone, combined with medical evidence confirming the occurrence of in-service stressors and a link to current symptoms, establishes that he incurred PTSD during his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a below-the-knee amputation of his left leg, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and other residuals from military service, render him unemployable due to the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, effective November 24, 2004. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for PTSD and grants TDIU based on the current 70 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's service-connected depression and PTSD were rated at a 10 percent prior to January 10, 2007. The Board found that the evidence supported an initial 50 percent evaluation for these conditions during this period.

The Board has expanded the claim to include all psychiatric disabilities and is remanding for further development, including obtaining additional stressor verification, VA mental health treatment records, and SSA disability decision records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder with psychotic features, finding that these conditions are related to his period of active duty service.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity since June 18, 2009. The RO has granted a 50 percent evaluation for PTSD effective from November 10, 2010.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and psychiatric disability, including PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has granted a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, and is remanding the PTSD claim for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and determine if he qualifies for TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has determined that this rating is not sufficient to grant an increased evaluation. The Veteran's employment history does not support a finding of total disability due to service-connected PTSD.

The Board found no credible evidence supporting the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors and denied his claim for service connection for PTSD.