PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's death was caused by pneumonia due to interstitial lung disease (asbestosis) with ischemic cardiomyopathy being a significant contributing condition. The appellant contends that the Veteran’s PTSD contributed to his heart disability, which in turn contributed to his death. However, the VA examination did not provide sufficient evidence to support this claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and he is now granted service connection for PTSD. His bilateral knee disabilities are also being remanded for further examination. The Veteran's hearing loss condition remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions regarding his service-connected conditions, specifically hypertension, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and vertigo.

The Veteran's PTSD and prostate cancer have been rated based on their service-connected status. The Board has found that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either condition, and has remanded several issues related to these conditions.

The Board has granted effective dates of July 21, 2010 for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD. The issues of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity and right upper extremity are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with MDD and awarded attorney fees from past-due benefits. The issue of an earlier effective date for the award of dependency for the Veteran's father is remanded, as well as the reasonableness of attorney fees for the December 2014 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence of record regarding PTSD diagnosis and treatment, as well as the need for verification of stressors. The Veteran is also diagnosed with anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD, and the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's anxiety is granted a 50 percent disability rating from March 13, 2014.

The Veteran's service connection for major depressive disorder is granted. The issues of initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, and initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for lumbar stenosis prior to January 31, 2018; and a rating in excess of 20 percent thereafter are remanded.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's disability picture most nearly approximated the criteria for the current 70 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA treatment records and further examination or opinion, as the Veteran's current psychiatric diagnoses do not include PTSD.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or continuity of symptoms.,The Veteran does not have a compensable evaluation for erectile dysfunction associated with prostate cancer due to lack of penile deformity.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of new evidence. The effective dates for PTSD and headaches remain denied.

The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has decided to remand the case for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has decided to remand the case for further evaluation due to lack of recent VA treatment records and a need for a current VA examination.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, GERD, depression, and tinnitus. The issues of service connection for these conditions are being remanded to the RO.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, and his request for a TDIU (Total Disability Independent of Rating) was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating or a TDIU based on his service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the veteran's claims for further development due to missing medical records and incomplete submissions. The appellant will be asked to provide VA permission to obtain additional relevant medical records from various doctors.