PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claim can be fully adjudicated, including obtaining VA treatment records and service personnel records. The Veteran's PTSD condition will also need to be reassessed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations. The Veteran is seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and a skin disorder, including soft tissue sarcoma.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression, is being remanded due to the need for further development and consideration of alternate diagnoses.

The Veteran's PTSD is primarily productive of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks due to intrusive thoughts, chronic sleep impairment, hypervigilance, depressive symptoms, and mild anxiety. The Board finds that the criteria for a higher evaluation of 30 percent for PTSD have been met.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since April 2005, and the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to May 15, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to verify whether the Veteran engaged in combat and if so, which stressors are related. The RO must also obtain VA treatment records and attempt to independently verify any reported non-combat stressors. If combat service is established or a verified non-combat stressor is found, the Veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination to determine if his acquired psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD and depression, are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional evidence and examinations, including regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) and allergies.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to report for a scheduled Travel Board hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after scheduling a new hearing.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially or materially to his death. The appellant contends that her husband's service-connected PTSD caused or contributed to his overall decline in health, including heart problems and cancer.

The Board has determined that the reduction in evaluation from 30 to 20 percent for service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease was improper, and denied all other issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for PTSD and a TDIU were granted, with the effective dates set at December 15, 2008. The Veteran is also entitled to a 100% rating for his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the case requires further development due to conflicting medical opinions and missing records. The Veteran's claims for service connection, hearing loss disability, tinnitus, rhinitis, lung cancer, and back disability will be remanded for additional examination and review.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by symptoms such as strained relationships, limited social activities, depression, anxiety, and impaired concentration. He has been rated at a 50 percent disability rating since the effective date of his service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective May 11, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to incomplete documentation and procedural issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA psychiatric examination to reassess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and determine if he is entitled to a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD should be April 29, 1981 (but no earlier), based on the receipt and consideration of additional service department records.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine whether the Veteran currently has PTSD and if so, whether it is related to any confirmed stressors. The RO must also attempt to contact medical providers who diagnosed PTSD and request that they explain their diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to verify if the Veteran's reported stressors occurred during service, and to determine whether he meets the criteria for service connection for PTSD and chronic major depression.

The Veteran's PTSD and major depressive disorder have been found to approximate the criteria for a 70 percent rating, which is higher than the current 50 percent evaluation. The Board has granted an increased rating in this case.