PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and need for further development, including a VA mental health examination.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have worsened, and a new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his condition. The claim for TDIU is also remanded as part of this matter.

An initial 50 percent rating for PTSD, from March 17, 2008, to January 17, 2017, is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder is rated at 100% effective from March 29, 2012. Prior to this date, the condition did not result in total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a disability rating of 70 percent, effective April 30, 2018. The Veteran also received a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's headaches are rated at a 30 percent disability rating, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent disability rating prior to March 15, 2018, and remains at a 70 percent disability rating thereafter.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status is remanded due to incomplete information in his VA 21-2680 form. A new VA examination is required to determine if he meets the requirement for aid and attendance due solely to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective date for PTSD and depressive disorder, and a higher rating for PTSD.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD is denied as there was no prior communication before April 12, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder condition, back condition, and hemorrhoids.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, patellofemoral syndrome of the left and right knees, and anxiety disorder are denied. The case is remanded to evaluate the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board is remanding the cases to obtain additional evidence related to the Veteran's claimed conditions and service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) because his employment as a construction cost estimator, which he has held since retiring in 2005 and continues to hold part-time, is considered substantially gainful employment rather than marginal employment. The Board found that the Veteran’s employer did not provide protected or sheltered work environment for him.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD should be remanded due to inadequate examination and missing VA Form 9 attachment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected peripheral neuropathy and PTSD, as well as a review of his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment since April 11, 2006. The Board grants an earlier effective date of April 11, 2006 for the award of TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms result in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, judgment, thinking, or mood. The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and TDIU were denied as there was no clear and unmistakable error in the January 1997 rating decision, which granted these benefits effective October 26, 1995.

The Veteran's PTSD is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its relationship to service, including his reported traumas.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, adjustment disorder, and depression is granted. The Board found that the evidence was at least in equipoise as to whether there is a link between the Veteran’s current symptoms of PTSD and his in-service stressors.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher rating of PTSD, and the Board dismissed the case.