PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a special home adaptation grant as they do not involve anatomical loss or use of both hands, burn injuries, inhalational injuries, or blindness.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance was denied. The Board found that no formal or informal claim had been filed prior to March 20, 2012.,The reduction of the TBI rating from 10 percent to noncompensable was upheld as proper. The Veteran's PTSD rating remained at 100 percent.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, but an earlier effective date for PTSD remains denied.,Service connection for chronic fatigue, sleep apnea, headaches, and joint pain are all remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease was denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Service connection for neck cancer, presumed due to herbicide exposure, was also denied because the disability did not manifest within one year after separation from service and is not etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 100% rating, and the issue of TDIU is dismissed as moot due to his already having a 100% rating for PTSD. The service connection for cellulitis remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone have resulted in his need for aid and attendance in the activities of daily living, which is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for his service-connected PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to May 29, 2014 for his increased evaluation of 70 percent for service-connected PTSD with MDD and alcohol abuse disorder. The Board found that there was no factually ascertainable increase in severity prior to this date.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus, type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that his condition required more than one daily insulin injection and regulation of activities. The claim for SMC based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status was also denied due to lack of evidence showing he needed regular assistance.

For the appeal period prior to January 12, 2018, the Veteran was granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD.,For the appeal period after January 12, 2018, the Veteran's TDIU claim was granted.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss as additional development is needed due to technical issues with the transcript of his April 2018 hearing, unclear notification regarding a July 2017 VA examination, and the Veteran's failure to report for that examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of his service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for nonservice-connected pension benefits is remanded due to conflicting evidence regarding his income and employment during the appeal period from April 16, 2003 to April 12, 2011. The AOJ must assess his level of disability and determine whether he meets the net worth and income requirements for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The initial rating for PTSD prior to December 28, 2015 was denied, but a higher rating of 70 percent or more is granted as of that date.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but service connection remains denied.,Service connection is denied for left shoulder arthritis and leg pain as these conditions are not related to active duty service or a service-connected disability.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Diabetes mellitus, type II, was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service. Service connection is also denied.,Headaches and PTSD are not etiologically related to the Veteran’s active duty service.,Service connection for depression has been granted with staged initial ratings from October 2, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to new and material evidence, and the Board has determined that his PTSD is related to his military service. The diagnosis of PTSD is supported by medical records and corroborated by a fellow service member who witnessed the stressors in Korea.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and alcohol use disorder, is granted as service connected due to the link between her in-service military sexual trauma and current PTSD. Her alcohol use disorder is also found to be proximately due to her PTSD.

The Board has granted an effective date of February 2, 1978 for the grant of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD). The original claim filed in February 1978 reasonably encompassed a claim for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted due to occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.