Citation Nr: 20002952
Decision Date: 01/14/20	Archive Date: 01/13/20

DOCKET NO. 19-12 589
DATE: January 14, 2020

REMANDED

Entitlement to service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Navy from August 1971 to June 1972.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a June 2018 rating decision by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Los Angeles, California.  

Entitlement to service connection for PTSD is remanded.

The Veteran contends that he has PTSD due to his military service.  The Veteran has asserted that his PTSD is the result of an in-service personal assault.  Available VA treatment records reflects a finding that the Veteran has PTSD symptoms. The Board finds that the duty to assist attaches to this opinion to obtain an opinion as to whether the Veteran’s PTSD is due to service, to include the asserted in-service personal assault stressor.

 

Accordingly, the matter is REMANDED for the following action:

1. Obtain updated VA treatment records. 

2. After completing directive #1, schedule the Veteran for an examination to determine whether he has a diagnosis of PTSD.  The examiner should review the claims file in its entirety and provide an opinion as to the following:

a)	Is there a current diagnosis of PTSD?

b)	If a diagnosis is found, the examiner should indicate whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) related to military service, to include as due to in-service personal assault.  The examiner should address the question of whether there is evidence of behavior changes following the claimed assault.

3. Thereafter, complete any other necessary development based on the results of the above, to include considering the need for additional stressor verification development.

 

 

Nathaniel J. Doan

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans’ Appeals

Attorney for the Board	K. Wilson, Associate Counsel

The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential, and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.