PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a psychiatric examination to determine if any of the veteran's current psychiatric diagnoses are related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD was found to be incurred in service, while a disorder manifested by painful joints and muscles was not shown to be related to service.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and depression, are related to his active duty service. The case will be remanded for a supplemental opinion from the VA examiner regarding the relationship between the Veteran's mental health conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication consistent with a Court decision, including obtaining new VA examinations to assess PTSD symptoms and their impact on employment.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in significant occupational and social impairment, with reduced reliability and productivity. The symptoms included flattened affect, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, impaired short-term and long-term memory, impaired judgment, disturbance of motivation and mood, and difficulties in maintaining work and social relationships.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen claims for service connection for coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction, right bundle branch block, hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, and a psychiatric disability (PTSD and anxiety).

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing due to the Veteran's request, and will not make a decision on the merits until this is done.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting further examinations.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (diagnosed as adjustment disorder with depressed mood) as secondary to a service-connected disability, but denied service connection for PTSD due to lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed in-service stressors.

The Veteran's PTSD was manifested by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity prior to March 26, 2010. After that date, the impairment was more severe.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of her PTSD and an opinion on whether she is unemployable due to her service-connected disability.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder has not resulted in significant occupational and social impairment, warranting a rating no higher than 30 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, effective August 30, 2006. The Board has determined that the evidence supports a higher initial rating of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 10 percent since August 17, 2009. The symptoms are mild and do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The claim remains pending as it is not clear whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his military service.,The initial evaluation for PTSD remains denied, with a current rating of 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, fibromyalgia (to include as secondary to PTSD), and arthritis have been denied. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD from May 3, 2007 through April 18, 2011 has been granted. The Veteran's claims of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 70 percent for PTSD since April 19, 2011 and to an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) from November 19, 2007 through April 18, 2011 have been granted.

The Board is remanding the case to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone rendered him unemployable prior to December 6, 2004.

The Veteran requested withdrawal of the appeal for an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder, and the Board has dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current disability due to PTSD that can be attributed to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, which meets the criteria for a higher evaluation.