PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and failure to consider all relevant stressors. The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is remanded as there are insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between his in-service personal assault and current symptoms.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as it was incurred in service, with the Board finding that he engaged in combat and his symptoms are related to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus type II, tinnitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, and bilateral hearing loss, have been granted effective from December 11, 2013. The bladder tumors were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee injury and PTSD, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claims and concluding that there is no current diagnosis of PTSD or other mental disability related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD, entitlement to a TDIU, and increased rating for PTSD due to insufficient development. The appeal is also remanded for obtaining additional records from the Veteran's service personnel file, in-service mental health treatment clinical records, and VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU is dismissed because he has received a 100% rating for PTSD and SMC based on the same period, rendering his other service-connected disabilities moot.

The Board dismissed the appeal of service connection for pulmonary issues. The claim for PTSD was granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a rating of 100 percent, and the issues related to hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and upper extremity neuropathy are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy have been granted initial disability ratings of 40 percent each, effective September 2018. The Veteran's PTSD has not met the criteria for a higher than 70 percent rating.

The Veteran's increased ratings for coronary artery disease and PTSD with depressive disorder are denied. A Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, status post splenectomy, and healed fractures of the left 7th and 11th ribs, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from January 1, 2002, to December 1, 2005. His TDIU claim is granted for this period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right and left knee disorders, right and left ankle disorders, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and a dental disorder, were denied as new and material evidence was not received to establish a nexus to service.,Specifically, the ROs denied reopening of service connection for these conditions based on lack of medical nexus to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss was denied. The initial evaluation of PTSD was granted at a 70% rating, but the case is REMANDED due to issues with TDIU prior to January 11, 2013.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms were found to be productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity for the period from January 25, 1999 through June 12, 2002. For the period from August 1, 2002 through March 5, 2014, the Veteran's PTSD symptoms did not more closely approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas. The Board remanded the issues of service connection for prostate disorder, generalized osteoarthritis of the hips, shoulders, ankles, and hands, increased rating for TMJ dysfunction after March 6, 2014, and TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by mild to moderate symptoms, including anxiety, irritability, and sleep disturbance. The Board found that the Veteran does not experience occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks.

The Veteran's pending claims for PTSD and MDS-RAEB were not addressed within the one-year period after his death, so the appellant's application for accrued benefits was denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD is denied as the earliest date of receipt of a claim was February 6, 2014.

The Board has dismissed the issue of entitlement to an evaluation higher than 70 percent for PTSD. The claims for service connection for residuals of surgery for ovarian cyst and a skin condition with facial scars related to acne are remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated 30 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is warranted due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.