PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2018

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD, finding insufficient evidence to support a claim prior to September 17, 2008.

The Board granted an effective date of December 5, 2006 for the award of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and SMC at the housebound rate based on the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service connected due to his in-service stressors. His disability rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with associated bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is also granted, leading to eligibility for specially adapted housing assistance.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for asthma, sleep apnea, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (claimed as anxiety/panic disorder) due to a lack of a requested hearing. The documents written in Spanish need to be translated into English.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, renal vascular disease, PTSD, CAD, TDIU, and SMC due to new evidence being added to his file.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable, and his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has denied an increased rating. The TDIU claim was granted, but SMC for housebound status or permanent need for aid and attendance remains denied.

The Veteran is granted an initial disability rating of 100 percent for PTSD and ADHD with residuals of a TBI with dizziness, effective February 26, 2013.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to January 13, 2017, resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The appeal for a higher rating is granted up to the assigned 50% disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, effective from the date of this decision.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted with a 70% rating, but the claims for service connection of left hip condition, headaches, and TBI are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The TDIU claim requires additional information from the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the claims for PTSD and a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, as well as the TDIU claim due to issues with medical opinions and potential need for further examination. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed again.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disorder and right knee/thigh disorder are granted as service-connected. The initial evaluation for PTSD is granted at 70 percent from October 1, 2015 to February 10, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and an updated VA examination.

The Veteran's initial rating for his acquired psychiatric disability, including depressive disorder and PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for a new medical examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder, and thus grants service connection for OSA secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's metastatic gastric cancer claim has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. His hypertension claim remains denied, as does his bilateral hearing loss and PTSD claims.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information to verify a stressor event that may have led to PTSD. The Veteran must be provided with an examination and further development is needed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and medical opinions regarding his claimed conditions. Service connection will be determined based on the merits of each claim.

The Veteran's cause of death is not related to any service-connected conditions, and the appeal for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied.