PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his in-service stressor and grants service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and his TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms are currently rated at 50 percent, but do not meet the criteria for a higher rating as they do not cause occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's petition to reopen her service connection claims for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD has been granted. She is now entitled to these claims.,Service connection for a back disability, hypertension, migraine headaches, obstructive sleep apnea, heart condition, bilateral hearing loss, recurrent tinnitus, left foot condition, and right foot condition are all denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his fear of hostile military or terrorist activity and accepted his lay testimony as sufficient to establish the occurrence of the claimed in-service stressors.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's service records and the need for further verification of his periods of active service, as well as obtaining missing service treatment records.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private hospital on September 9, 2015 are granted as the treatment was rendered in a medical emergency of such nature that delay would have been hazardous to life or health and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that his functional impairments due to these conditions are not severe enough to prevent him from securing employment.

The Veteran's PTSD and MDD were rated as 30% disabling prior to November 14, 2014, and increased to 50% thereafter. The Board found that the symptoms did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence in previous examinations. The Veteran will be provided a new notification letter, stressor verification steps will be taken, and he will undergo VA psychiatric and audiological examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder and cannabis abuse has been granted an initial 70 percent disability rating, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD from 70% to 100%, finding that the Veteran's symptoms were on par with a 70% disability rating rather than a total occupational and social impairment level.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the in-service stressor event and missing service records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, is also being remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD with depression was dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been granted a 70 percent rating for the entire appeal period, and his claim for TDIU is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and heart disability are severe enough to prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability, hypertension, and headaches. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded due to the need for additional development.