PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent disability rating, effective September 9, 2013. This reflects the severity of his symptoms including depressed mood, poor sleep and nightmares, irritability, hypervigilance causing sensations of an audio-visual nature, and inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Parkinson's disease and PTSD, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of August 25, 2010. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining legible copies of service personnel and treatment records, arranging for a VA examination to determine the relationship between his diabetes mellitus and service, and scheduling an aid and attendance examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before a decision can be made regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial evaluations for various conditions, including PTSD, TBI residuals, migraine headaches, and hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, are related to her military service and has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran has withdrawn all issues on appeal, including service connection for hypothyroidism and increased ratings for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's TBI is related to his active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD and has determined that a new diagnosis of PTSD is supported by evidence. The Veteran was granted a 100% rating for her asthma.

The Board found that the Veteran's TBI did not result in any cognitive impairment or other residuals, and thus denied his claim for a compensable disability evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in the functional equivalent of loss of use of one or both feet, qualifying him for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, low back disability, right knee disability, gastrointestinal disability, and upper respiratory disability. The denial is based on a lack of evidence showing a current disability related to these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, which meets the criteria for a 70 percent rating under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The Veteran also has thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity that are each rated at 10 percent. Tension headaches have been rated as noncompensable, but the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are sufficiently severe to inhibit her ability to obtain gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's alcohol abuse disorder is found to be proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an addendum opinion on the nature and etiology of his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of records.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD with a history of substance abuse is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a fracture of the left mandible and right maxilla, as well as his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, were denied. His TDIU claim was also denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant's character of discharge is a bar to VA benefits due to his acceptance of an undesirable discharge to escape trial by a special court-martial. However, the Court found this reasoning inadequate and remanded for further analysis regarding whether the appellant was insane at the time of misconduct.