PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and SMC based on need for aid and attendance (A&A) for the Veteran's spouse due to insufficient evidence. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a bilateral eye disorder, and SMC are now pending.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's PTSD diagnosis and its relation to service. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating for PTSD, in excess of 30 percent prior to October 13, 2015; and a rating higher than 70 percent thereafter to January 1, 2019, has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Board has dismissed all claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's initial 50 percent rating for headaches is granted, effective November 18, 2009. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension (residuals of TBI), and PTSD are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion from a May 2019 VA examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders. The examiner did not adequately explain how no disability was superimposed on his personality disorder during service, relied solely on absence of documented treatment, and required an addendum opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and for entitlement to TDIU due to the possibility that his symptoms have worsened since the last VA examination. The issues are now pending for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to duty-to-assist errors in prior VA examinations, and an addendum opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran's psychiatric disorders pre-existed service or were aggravated by service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 50 percent disability rating, effective prior to August 7, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, variably diagnosed as PTSD and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood. The claim for erectile dysfunction is remanded.

The appeals of the denials of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, service connection for tinnitus, service connection for sleep apnea, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss are dismissed.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression and anxiety is granted as service connected, with all reasonable doubt resolved in her favor.

The Veteran's PTSD is being remanded for a new examination to assess the current severity of his condition. Additionally, an inferred claim for TDIU due to unemployability caused by PTSD is also being remanded.

PTSD and low back disability ratings have been granted, with PTSD receiving a 50% rating prior to February 12, 2018 and low back disability receiving a 20% rating from August 19, 2014. The Veteran's PTSD remains at 70% after this date.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms are currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted. The appeal for an increased rating for PTSD was denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess its current severity and impact on his ability to work. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the PTSD rating issue.

The Veteran's initial rating for PTSD and anxiety disorder is granted at 100 percent, effective from the date of the decision. The TDIU claim is dismissed as moot due to the assigned disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, and residuals of CVA due to a lack of evidence showing a current diagnosis of these conditions during or proximate to his active service.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have approximated the criteria for a 30 percent rating, but not for a 50 percent rating. The Board has also remanded his claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to potential service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disabilities, specifically PTSD. The VA is instructed to schedule a new examination and provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to service.