PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent, effective June 20, 2003. The Board denied entitlement to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied, and his claims of entitlement to a TDIU were also denied. The right hip disability claim has been previously denied.

The Veteran's cause of death, congestive heart failure due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), is found to be related to his service-connected PTSD and cold injury residuals. As such, the claim for DIC based on service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, but denied it on its underlying merits. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for retroactive additional compensation benefits for his son (S.C.K.) as a dependent child was denied because the required information was not provided within the one-year time limit set by VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran not appearing at a previously scheduled Travel Board hearing. The case is now pending for another hearing.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD was remanded due to the failure to appear at a scheduled Board hearing. The case is now back in the hands of the RO for further action.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inconsistencies in medical records and a need for updated VA treatment records.

The Veteran's combined disability evaluation is 80 percent, which meets the percentage requirements for consideration of a total evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). However, his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and an addendum VA medical opinion regarding his PTSD and TDIU claims.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The case is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination. The issues of entitlement to an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are also pending.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by avoidant behavior, decreased participation in activities, feeling detached and estranged from others, intrusive memories, nightmares, difficulty falling and staying asleep, irritability, hypervigilance, an exaggerated startle response, anxiety, depressed mood, with GAF scores within the range of 49-58. His symptoms result in occupational and social impairment of no more than reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran requires aid and attendance or is housebound due to his disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD was evaluated at a 50 percent rating from April 10, 2008 to May 8, 2011, based on symptoms such as flattened affect, panic attacks more than once a week, and difficulty in understanding complex commands.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with dysthymia and personality disorder did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent prior to March 23, 2006. The disability was found to result in occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms that decreased work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with depressed mood, previously rated as PTSD, has been found to cause total occupational and social impairment throughout the appeal period.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD and migraine headaches. The Veteran's claims were previously considered, but new evidence did not meet the criteria to reopen the claim for a psychiatric disability. Migraine headaches were also found not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for PTSD due to lack of verified in-service stressors and insufficient medical nexus.