PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient development and examination, including a need for another VA psychiatric examination and review of stressor events.

The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection as his claimed PTSD is not shown to be related to active duty service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since July 2007. The Board finds that the evidence supports a higher rating, as his symptoms have worsened and he now meets criteria for a 50% or higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD was manifested by symptoms such as survivor's guilt, nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, flattened affect, panic attacks more than once a week, impaired short- and long-term memory, impaired judgment, hypervigilance, hyperstartle response, disturbances of motivation and mood, sleep difficulty, depression, anxiety, anger and angry outbursts, irritability, emotional numbing, and isolative behavior. However, the Veteran was alert, oriented, cooperative, had appropriate personal hygiene, and good eye contact.

The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD did not meet the criteria for service connection as there was no credible evidence corroborating his claimed in-service stressful experiences and any diagnosis of PTSD was based on unverified accounts given by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and a bilateral ankle strain are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including notification of the requirement to submit buddy statements supporting his claimed stressors.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by his active service and denied service connection for substance abuse as a result of his own willful misconduct.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and insufficient examination report.

The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD did not meet or approximate the criteria for a 100% schedular rating prior to December 7, 2005. The effective date of the current 100% schedular rating is therefore set at December 7, 2005.

The Veteran's PTSD has been found to cause occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 30 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the medical opinions indicate that it is less likely than not related to service.,The Veteran's back disability (Degenerative Disc Disease with Lumbar Stenosis) claim is granted as the VA examiner opined that it was as likely as not caused by or a result of his military service.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder) claim is granted as the VA examiner opined that it was as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need to consider the recent change in regulations regarding fear of hostile military or terrorist activity as a stressor. The VA examiner will determine if any acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is present and its relationship to his period of military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records from Lexington VAMC. A psychiatric examination is also required to determine if any diagnosed PTSD or other psychiatric disability is related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been productive of occupational and social impairment with depression, difficulty sleeping, intrusive thoughts, irritability, and isolative behavior; however, there has not been any indication of illogical, obscure or irrelevant speech, near-continuous panic or depression, spatial disorientation, or an inability to establish and maintain effective relationships. As such, the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent have not been met.

The Veteran's PTSD is characterized by mild symptoms prior to July 8, 2010 and reduced reliability and productivity as of July 8, 2010. The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD prior to July 8, 2010 was granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to uncertainty regarding the Veteran's service in Chu Lai, Vietnam, and his reported stressors. The Veteran is asked to provide any supporting evidence such as 'buddy' statements or VA treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD disability has been found to be manifested by total occupational and nearly total social impairment, warranting a 100 percent rating.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD was rated at 30 percent prior to September 2, 2008 and granted a higher rating of 50 percent from that date forward.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board found that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected PTSD with depression is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.