PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression and anxiety, is being remanded due to the need for further development regarding his in-service stressor.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and conflicting opinions about the Veteran's diagnoses and their relationship to service. A new VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has PTSD related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, the maximum schedular rating for this condition. The Board denied his claim for an increased evaluation as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Veteran's death was caused by acute and chronic alcoholism, which is a symptom of his service-connected PTSD. The Board finds that the Veteran's death meets the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD results in social isolation, a depressed mode, and heightened anger and irritability. The Board finds that the disability does not warrant a rating higher than 50 percent.

The Board has ordered another remand due to the need for additional development, including obtaining in-service mental health clinic records and VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered based on this new information.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective January 18, 2006. The grant of a 100 percent rating for PTSD renders moot the appeal for a TDIU prior to June 9, 2010. The Veteran's SMC claim was granted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's cause of death was not caused by a service-connected condition or an event reasonably foreseeable in VA care, and thus does not meet the criteria for service connection under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, as his stressors could not be verified and were not consistent with the circumstances of his service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found that the evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the Veteran's claim.,The Veteran's loss of teeth is not considered service-connected for purposes of eligibility for dental treatment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and a need for further clarification of his intent regarding potential pension benefits. The claims on appeal will be reconsidered after obtaining additional medical records, verifying stressors for PTSD, and considering SSA disability benefit records.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The Veteran's reported stressors of exposure to enemy fire and rocket attacks in Vietnam have been found sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to verify the Veteran's claimed stressors and to obtain updated medical opinions regarding his service-connected conditions, particularly PTSD. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's PTSD was manifested by depression, anxiety, chronic sleep disturbance and insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks, irritability, anger, sadness, exaggerated startle response, difficulty concentrating, impaired memory, intrusive thoughts, feelings of detachment, decreased energy and interest in activities, hypervigilance, some hallucinations, interpersonal guardedness, avoidance of trauma related triggers, decreased interest in hobbies and social activities, feelings of detachment and estrangement from others, emotional numbing, and feelings of a foreshortened life. The Veteran was employed but discontinued working due to PTSD symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for mucoepidermoid carcinoma, claimed as due to exposure to Agent Orange, has been reopened and granted. The initial rating for PTSD prior to November 29, 2010 is now 10%.,Effective from November 29, 2010, the Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50%

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on all issues except migraine headaches has been withdrawn. The Board grants service connection for migraine headaches.,The Veteran reported experiencing headaches since childhood, but her current diagnosis is of a chronic condition that began in service and resolved with pregnancy.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD in June 1997. The effective date of the grant of service connection for PTSD was set at October 6, 1997.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of major depressive disorder and PTSD are related to stressful events he experienced as a Navy hospital corpsman during his active duty service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the merits of the Veteran's claim can be evaluated. This includes obtaining VA treatment records, determining if the Veteran is receiving Social Security Administration benefits, and scheduling a new VA examination for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including verifying the events she claims occurred during service and obtaining relevant medical records.