PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral eye disability, a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hammertoes, and a higher rating for his PTSD. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD with depressive disorder were denied. The claim for an earlier effective date for the 70% evaluation of PTSD was also denied. The Board found that new and material evidence is not required to reopen these claims, as they have never become final.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence for a decision on whether any of the claimed injuries are directly related to service. The Veteran needs to be afforded a VA examination and an opinion addressing his lay statements regarding his symptoms in service, post-service medical history, and continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has decided to remand this case for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, TBI, hernia residuals, bilateral knee conditions, and lower back strain have been remanded. The Veteran also has a pending request to increase his ratings for hearing loss and seborrheic dermatitis, as well as a request for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current psychiatric disability, including whether it is related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied as there is no credible evidence of an in-service stressor and the diagnosis is not based on a verified stressor. The Board finds that the Veteran's statements about his in-service events are inconsistent with the conditions of his service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since July 24, 2012 and remains at that level as of March 1, 2014. The rating is granted subject to the laws governing retroactive payment.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD has been granted, and he is now entitled to service connection.,The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for urinary dysfunction have been denied. However, the Veteran was granted an extension of his temporary total disability rating for convalescence following surgery.

PTSD, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, seizure disability, and tinnitus have been granted as service connected.,Tinnitus was initially present during active service and persists to the present.

The Board has found that a remand is necessary for the Veteran to be afforded a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The issues of service connection for PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for further development.

The Veteran's claims for a higher initial rating for PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the inclusion of new evidence in the case file since the July 2016 Statement of the Case.

The Board has granted the reopening of the claim regarding whether the appellant's character of discharge is a bar to VA benefits, and remanded for further action.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial staged ratings for PTSD and an unspecified trauma related disorder, as well as service connection for a disability of the legs, were dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle injuries, diabetes mellitus, and PTSD due to incomplete evidence and need for further medical opinions.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which render him unemployable.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including a lumbar disorder, right hip disorder, skin disorder, acquired psychiatric disorders, and hypertension. The VA is instructed to obtain relevant medical records and conduct further examinations and opinions as needed.

The Board has not decided the service connection claims for cerebrovascular accident (CVA or stroke) and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), but has remanded them due to new evidence received since previous decisions. The decision on these claims will be considered as granted if some issues are granted and others are denied.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but it did not cause total occupational and social impairment. The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD from June 30, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD have been denied. The RO assigned a 20% rating for bilateral hearing loss, which is the maximum available under VA regulations. For PTSD, the Veteran was already receiving a 50% rating, so no increase in rating was granted.