PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective April 14, 2010. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU).

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, right ear hearing loss disability, tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, and skin condition to the lips (claimed as dry mouth), all secondary to existing service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's asthma with COPD is rated at 100%.

The Board has determined that additional procedural development is necessary and the claims are being remanded for further action.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected PTSD has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss and therefore denied service connection for this condition. The issues of service connection for right ankle sprain, PTSD, and sleep apnea are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than April 11, 2013 for service connection of PTSD and a TDIU prior to that date were denied. The Board found no basis for awarding an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's PTSD, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss are service-connected. The Board is remanding to determine if these conditions alone or in combination with other disabilities render the Veteran unemployable.

The Veteran was granted an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD, effective June 25, 2018. The decision found that the Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder and neurocognitive disorder is rated at 50% prior to April 25, 2017 and at 70% since then. The case is remanded for additional development regarding his TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed PTSD and depressive disorder, including his service connection claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar injury, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disability to obtain additional evidence and provide a VA examination. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected. The skin condition and tinnitus claims are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as there is no evidence of a current disability during or shortly before the pendency of the claim.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at a 70 percent disability rating effective March 15, 2011. The Board also found that the Veteran should have been granted TDIU prior to December 28, 2012.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have worsened, and a new VA examination is needed. The incontinence claim requires an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s condition was caused by negligence or unforeseen events. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its interrelation with the other claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development, including a new VA examination using DSM-V criteria and obtaining all relevant psychiatric treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and his TDIU claim were both denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other mental health disorder, and that his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's CAD was granted a maximum 100% rating from September 8, 2014 to December 19, 2017 and a 60% rating thereafter. His PTSD received an initial 70% rating effective June 23, 2008.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was initially denied in April 2011. The Veteran appealed this decision and a subsequent February 2015 rating decision granted service connection for other specific trauma and stressor-related disorder (subclinical PTSD). Attorney fees from past-due benefits are now payable due to the valid fee agreement executed by the Veteran.