PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded several issues including an increased rating for Osgood Schlatter's disease of the left knee, service connection claims for right knee condition, hearing loss, left eye condition, memory loss, alcohol dependency, PTSD and depression. The TDIU issue is also inextricably intertwined with these matters.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for traumatic brain injury, cataracts, dental disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, hearing loss, right leg/thigh disability, left leg disability, left hip disability, left knee disability, and removal of the right ovary have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal to reopen her claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) has been granted.

The Veteran's entitlement to a disability rating of 60 percent for coronary artery disease is granted from June 23, 2017. The Veteran's PTSD with secondary major depression and night sweats remains rated at 50 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has denied both his request for a higher rating and his claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the DIC claim due to additional theories of entitlement raised by the Appellant, including exposure to ionizing radiation and a link between PTSD and GERD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational experience.

The Board denied service connection for a hip condition secondary to patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee. The Veteran's PTSD was granted an increased rating of 70 percent prior to April 13, 2016.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD and a left shoulder condition. The Veteran's claims for erectile dysfunction, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and right forearm injury are remanded for further examination and analysis.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for PTSD and service connection for hepatitis C were dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is granted. The separate claim for depression is dismissed.

The Veteran's PTSD was initially rated at 30 percent from June 27, 2000 to April 1, 2004 and then increased to 50 percent effective April 1, 2004. The Board denied an increase in rating for the period prior to April 1, 2004 and after that date.,The Veteran does not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with recurrent major depressive disorder has been granted a disability rating of 50 percent, effective from September 27, 2013.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his nonservice-connected tremor in his right hand.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms, including difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances at work and impaired impulse control, have been rated as 70 percent disabling from March 15, 2012, to March 15, 2013.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for her right foot disability, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder are related to his service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's current 10 percent rating for hypothyroidism is being remanded due to the need for further development and examination, including consideration of overlapping criteria with other service-connected conditions.

The Board has dismissed the claim for an effective date earlier than December 18, 1991 for service connection of PTSD. The claims for bilateral cataracts, ED, gangrene of the legs, and chronic renal failure are remanded as they cannot be decided without first knowing whether these conditions are related to service or a service-connected disability.,The Board has remanded the claims for SMC based on blindness in one eye and loss of use of a creative organ.

The Board has vacated its previous remand order and is now remanding several issues related to TDIU, SMC at the housebound rate, DEA eligibility, increased ratings for coronary artery disease and tinnitus. The Veteran must be provided with a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding these matters.