PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since April 20, 2010. Prior to that date, the disability was rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, effective December 30, 2005. The Board found that the symptoms prior to this date did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and remanded it to allow further development, including consideration of new evidence and regulations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability was denied. The VA compensation claim for the surgical removal of a growth on his lower spine in 1974 was granted, but no additional disability or aggravation due to VA treatment is recognized.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and are related to his in-service stressors. The Veteran also has been diagnosed with depressive disorder not otherwise specified and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified, but these conditions do not warrant separate grants of service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD was found to be manifested by symptoms including nightmares, hypervigilance, irritability, flashbacks, and some social impairment prior to April 30, 2010. From that date, the Veteran's PTSD was characterized by symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, difficulties with concentration and memory, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depressed mood, irritability, hypervigilance, and difficulty establishing effective work and social relationships.

The Veteran's PTSD has been shown to result in total social and occupational impairment, leading the Board to grant a 100 percent evaluation for his condition.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a disability evaluation of 70 percent effective from April 6, 2009. The appeal for TDIU is pending.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, hearing loss, and status post stress fracture of the left foot. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, his hearing loss at non-compensable (0 percent), and his left foot disability at non-compensable (0 percent).

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is being remanded due to the need for further development regarding an in-service stressor and the application of the amended 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his Vocational Rehabilitation file and readjudication of the claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, as his unemployability is primarily due to non-service-connected physical disabilities from a post-service work injury.

The evidence supports the diagnosis of PTSD and establishes a link between current symptoms and in-service stressors, leading to a grant of service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a psychiatric and heart condition examination.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 10 percent, effective January 31, 2008. The Board found that the disability meets the criteria for a 30 percent rating but not higher.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar strain did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent, and his PTSD did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent during the initial rating period.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at a 10 percent disability rating since July 30, 2008.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depression, were not incurred or aggravated during service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since August 2006, and the Board finds that a higher rating of 70 percent is warranted based on his symptoms.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The Board will schedule another VA examination to assess the combined effect of his service-connected conditions on his employability.