PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Board has found that additional development is needed due to new VA treatment records submitted by the Veteran, which are relevant to his PTSD claim. The case will be remanded for further review and consideration of this evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service connection, with the diagnosis based on current symptoms linked to in-service stressors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.

The Veteran's initial PTSD rating from February 2, 2012 through November 2, 2018 was granted at a 50 percent level. Since then, the Veteran has been rated at 70 percent for PTSD due to persistent occupational and social impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, but denied claims for other conditions. The effective dates have been adjusted in some cases.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he has a long history of employment and the medical evidence does not indicate that his conditions prevent him from performing any type of work.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and the claim for a higher rating is denied. The TDIU claim is also denied as there is no evidence of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since December 1, 2015. The Board granted an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD and also granted a TDIU effective from December 1, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, should be remanded due to insufficient verification of a stressor involving Staff Sergeant Thomas and the need for updated VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor and a need for further examination to determine if he has an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the award of TDIU prior to September 19, 2013. The Board finds that referral to the VA Director of Compensation Service for adjudication of the TDIU claim under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) is warranted.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied in October 2006 and again in January 2011. The Veteran filed a new request to reopen her claim on February 26, 2016, which resulted in the grant of service connection for PTSD effective that date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, arthritis of the right hip, and arthritis of the left hip have been dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for chronic prostatitis and benign prostatitic hypertrophy (BPH) has been remanded. The effective date issue related to this claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was reopened, and he is now granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and alcohol use disorder. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of PTSD but does have diagnoses of anxiety disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, and alcoholism which are related to his period of service.

The Veteran's PTSD claim is reopened and granted. Headaches are not service-connected, but right knee tricompartmental osteoarthritis is secondary to his service-connected left knee conditions. The effective dates for the awards of service connection for left knee disabilities are set at May 2, 2013.

The Board has granted an effective date of January 23, 2009 for the grant of service connection for PTSD and bipolar disorder. The Veteran's claim was reopened in January 2009 after she submitted additional evidence including a statement asserting her conditions were due to military sexual trauma.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations to determine the current severity of HPV, the nature and etiology of asthma, and the relationship between irritable colon syndrome and service-connected conditions.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected PTSD. The Board has determined that there are some plausible reasons for unemployment prior to March 17, 2014 and has therefore remanded the case for further review by VA's Director of Compensation.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sleep apnea, increased disability rating for PTSD, and TDIU due to inextricably intertwined issues. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) is claimed as a basis for his sleep apnea.