PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD was denied. The secondary service connection claim for depression due to service-connected scars from breast reduction surgery was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July 14, 2016, for the award of Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is denied. The criteria for an earlier effective date are not met as the Veteran did not meet the schedular or extraschedular TDIU criteria prior to July 14, 2016.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for high cholesterol is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a disability for VA compensation purposes.,The Board has remanded claims for service connection for fatigue, low back, joint pain, and skin disabilities due to insufficient evidence of their etiology in relation to service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, but the evidence does not show that his disability warrants a higher rating.

The appeal for service connection of hemorrhoids, heart condition, sinusitis, and urethritis is dismissed. The appeals to reopen claims for low back injury, neurological damage due to a back injury, residuals of head injury, and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, depression, anxiety) are granted.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses from a non-VA hospital is granted as the claim was filed within two years of the care and meets the criteria under 38 U.S.C. § 1728.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective April 15, 2008. The decision also granted a TDIU based on the service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder was reopened and granted. His headaches, caused by PTSD, are now rated at 50 percent effective September 1, 2010. The Veteran's PTSD is also rated at 70 percent effective September 1, 2010.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for malaria was denied as the new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,Service connection for hypertension was denied because there is no evidence that it began during or within one year after service and there is no link between current hypertension and service.

The Veteran's PTSD rating is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess current severity.

The Veteran's facial scars have been rated as noncompensable due to the absence of characteristics of disfigurement or pain. The Board has found that the preponderance of evidence does not support a higher rating.,Several service connection claims for various disabilities are being remanded, including cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, left hip disability, sleep disorder (including sleep apnea), GERD, erectile dysfunction, headaches, neurological disabilities of the buttocks and lower extremities, chronic pain, and acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have increased since her last VA examination, and a new evaluation is needed. Her TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the PTSD rating claim.

The Veteran's Reiter’s syndrome is rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the applicable VA rating criteria. The appeal for higher ratings for PTSD and coronary artery disease has been denied.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been rated at 30%, 50%, and 70% over different periods, with the highest rating of 70% granted from April 20, 2017.

The Board has granted service connection for schizophrenia, but denied service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss. The decision is based on the evidence of record showing a current diagnosis of schizophrenia within one year of discharge from service.

The Board has denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for lumbar spinal stenosis with radiculopathy due to the August 2014 VA spine surgery, but has remanded cases regarding service connection for acquired psychiatric disability and residuals of eye surgery.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his PTSD is denied as the evidence does not show occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the right knee condition, right leg injury, sleep apnea, hearing loss, and PTSD rating. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further examination and evaluation regarding his claimed psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD and depression. Additionally, he needs a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected dermatitis/eczema.