PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical evidence and providing a retrospective medical opinion on PTSD from 1993 to 2014.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted, and the Board finds that his current symptoms are causally related to an in-service stressor. The claims for left knee injury, sinus disability, and low back disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current psychiatric disability is as likely as not related to her military sexual assault in 1959. The claim was reopened based on new evidence submitted after the April 2018 remand.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety and depression. The claim will be reconsidered with a new examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, and the Board found that no earlier effective date could be assigned as the earliest claim received was on September 17, 1999.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and PTSD have been granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and depressive disorder is granted. The Board found that the evidence supports a finding of service connection based on direct relationship to military service.

The Veteran's son, F.J., is not recognized as a helpless child due to his ability to support himself through various jobs. The TDIU claim remains pending and requires further review.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent prior to August 3, 2016. The Board found that the symptoms did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation with his education and occupational background, warranting the grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder and anxious distress is being remanded for further examination to determine the current severity of his condition. Additionally, the issue of entitlement to a TDIU is also being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent disability rating, effective September 17, 2013. The Board also granted the Veteran a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date before May 18, 2016, for service connection of PTSD. The effective date is set at May 18, 2016.

The Veteran's PTSD rating was increased to 50 percent effective October 5, 2017. The case is remanded for further review of his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and an examination, but has not yet made a final decision on whether service connection should be granted.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for lumbar traumatic arthritis and left knee reconstruction have been dismissed due to withdrawal.,The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to September 17, 2013 for PTSD has been remanded as the Board cannot adjudicate it without first determining if there was clear and unmistakable error in a previous rating decision assigning that effective date.,The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to July 12, 1999 for migraine headaches and hemiplegic migraines has also been remanded as the Board cannot adjudicate it without first determining if there was clear and unmistakable error in a previous rating decision assigning that effective date.

The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his claims for service connection for PTSD and residuals of a TBI. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and providing a medical opinion regarding any current non-psychiatric symptoms of TBI residuals.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD should be remanded due to conflicting information on whether or not he meets the criteria for PTSD and because a VA psychiatric examination is needed using DSM-5 criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of September 18, 2006 for service connection of PTSD and major depressive disorder. The decision found that entitlement to benefits did not arise until December 7, 2006.