PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depressive disorder, is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether his current psychiatric disabilities are related to in-service stressors or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's surviving spouse is requesting that the previously denied claims for service connection be reconsidered as accrued benefits or on a substitution basis. The RO must adjudicate these issues.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an acquired mental disorder other than PTSD, to include bipolar disorder due to a lack of current diagnosis. The case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has decided to remand this case for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back condition and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for PTSD due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, diabetes mellitus, PTSD, and residuals of a left thumb fracture are all rated at the lowest possible levels due to their mild nature.,The Veteran does not meet the criteria for higher ratings as his conditions do not warrant more severe evaluations based on severity or additional symptoms.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and CAD rendered him unable to secure and maintain gainful employment as of December 13, 2012. The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective from that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and therefore service connection for this condition is denied. The right knee and bilateral foot disorders are remanded for further examination and analysis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's passive suicidal thoughts, and a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of his PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD and depressive disorder were rated at a 50% disability rating from May 8, 2018 to April 15, 2019. After the VA examination on April 15, 2019, the rating was increased to 70%. The Veteran experienced significant occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating. The Veteran was granted TDIU based on her service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 100 percent rating effective October 6, 2014, for the period of April 24, 2014, to October 6, 2014.

The Veteran's PTSD is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since April 5, 2016. The Board found that the Veteran’s symptoms more closely approximated occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened and granted. The Veteran's depressive disorder is being remanded for further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination and opinion regarding the appellant's mental state at the time of his misconduct leading to his discharge under other than honorable conditions. The appeal will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates in all three issues: TDIU, SMC based on housebound status, and DEA benefits. The reasons were that these issues had already been decided by a final January 2019 decision.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and whether such diagnosis is related to his military service. The VA examiner will need to reconcile discrepancies in diagnoses found in the record.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for residuals of head injury has been denied by the Board. The disability is currently rated as zero percent, and the evidence does not support an increase in this rating.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, along with other disabilities including hearing loss and ankle sprain, has rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).