PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral eye injury, and dental condition due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection was also denied for congestive heart failure, hypertension, kidney condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder (MDD and PTSD) as the Veteran's conditions were not related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and the need for a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been denied. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's headaches, lumbar spondylosis rating, and TDIU.

The Board has granted a rating of 70 percent for PTSD from June 18, 2016, based on occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, and family relations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck condition, PTSD, head injury (TBI), and depressive disorder is granted.,Service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease is granted. Service connection for PTSD is granted. Service connection for head injury (TBI) is remanded due to lack of an adequate VA examination. Service connection for depressive disorder as secondary to service-connected cervical spine degenerative disc disease is also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left foot disorder and PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for hypertension and left and right plantar fasciitis as the Veteran withdrew his claims. The appeal of PTSD with depression, not otherwise specified is remanded due to a request for an additional VA examination.

The rating reduction for PTSD from 70 percent to 30 percent was proper, and the denial of a higher rating for hearing loss is upheld.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder and schizoaffective disorder. Additional development is required, such as obtaining missing service treatment records, verifying in-service stressors, and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to February 10, 2015, for the award of service connection for PTSD is denied. The Board found that the earliest date of receipt of a claim was February 10, 2015, and not earlier.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination regarding whether a preexisting psychiatric condition worsened during service.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability was granted. The claim for posttraumatic stress disorder received a 70% evaluation with an effective date of June 10, 2008.,Service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder was granted but the remanded issue of service connection for gastrointestinal disability remains unresolved.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, should be remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the in-service stressor.

The Veteran's service connection claims for thyroid disability, abdominal scar post hernia repair, and PTSD are all remanded. The Board found insufficient evidence to grant service connection for the thyroid disability or increase ratings for the abdominal scar and PTSD.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be secondary to her service-connected PTSD.,PTSD does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder and heart condition prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, leading to a grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression and cannabis abuse has been rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that his symptoms are more comparable to a reduced reliability and productivity than total occupational and social impairment. The appeal is remanded for further adjudication.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his claims, including service connection for various conditions and their secondary effects.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent, which is the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code (DC) 9411.,The Veteran’s service-connected tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating.