PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted. The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including schizophrenia, manic depression, and anxiety disorder, is also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected DJD of the lumbar spine is granted. The initial rating for PTSD prior to April 25, 2011 is denied but a higher rating from that date is granted. A TDIU due to service connected disabilities is remanded.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder is related to a motor vehicle accident during service and has been granted as service connected.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted, and the original rating of 30 percent is restored. The issue of a higher disability rating for cervical spine disability remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for further examination. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with updated treatment records, verification of stressors, and a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral knee disability, acute lumbar strain and degenerative disc disease, and bilateral upper and lower back teeth due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service stressors and continuity of symptomology will be considered.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted with an effective date of May 22, 2014. The decision acknowledges the Veteran's testimony that he did not appeal the initial denial in 2005 and applies the correct law to affirm the assigned effective date.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, including DDD and herniated disc, is granted as service connected.,His bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy and right CTS are also granted as secondary to his service-connected cervical spine disability.,Service connection for MDD is granted.

The Board has decided that a remand is required to evaluate the Veteran's PTSD due to potential worsening and outdated treatment records.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is granted. The right knee disability is granted with a separate 10% evaluation for instability, but the request for an increased rating remains denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of service-connected PTSD, TBI, left wrist condition, left knee condition, and sleep apnea. The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations are also being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50% disability rating for the period from October 1, 2014 to March 23, 2016.

The Veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but not total impairment. The claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD has been established, and the appeal for service connection of recurrent lumbar spine disorder, recurrent right knee disorder, and right neck scar is remanded due to lack of VA examinations addressing these claims.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD has been remanded due to the issue being intertwined with a separate claim regarding residuals of TBI with dizziness.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a sleep disability and for increased ratings for his lumbar spine degenerative arthropathy have been remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back injury, heart disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and schizophrenia), head injury, and bilateral foot disability. The decision also remanded several issues.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease and PTSD rendered him unable to maintain gainful employment as of December 30, 2006. Effective from that date, he is entitled to a TDIU rating and SMC at the housebound rate.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for PTSD and anxiety disorder, as well as the claim for an initial compensable rating for acne vulgaris. The Veteran needs to be provided with VA examinations to clarify his diagnoses and assess the severity of his conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death is due to his service-connected PTSD, which was established as a result of new evidence. The Board finds that the Veteran had diagnosed PTSD related to his World War II service and that this condition contributed substantially to his death.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, which does not meet the criteria for an increased rating. The Board has determined that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.