PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent from March 13, 2008 to January 14, 2014. This rating is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional service records from the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied as she does not meet the criteria for a current diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with VA regulations.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD is denied. The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective May 26, 2011.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability that began during active service or is otherwise related to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal of the denial of service connection for PTSD has been withdrawn, and thus the issue is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death and service connection. The appellant contends that herbicide exposure contributed to her husband's death, but no medical opinion addressing these claims was obtained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection, increased rating for PTSD, and TDIU are not ready for decision due to the need for additional examinations and records. The case is therefore REMANDED.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service-connected PTSD is dismissed as the appeal was untimely and there is no evidence of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the original decision.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a 70 percent disability rating, effective from the date of the May 2010 rating decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted.,New evidence has been submitted that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board has granted service connection for Bipolar I Disorder, which includes PTSD. However, the Veteran's other psychiatric symptoms are considered part of his service-connected condition and thus a separate claim for PTSD is moot.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions provided by VA examiners and the need for updated records. The Veteran's entire service personnel record should be obtained, as well as updated VA treatment records from August 2014 to the present.

The Veteran's claims for left ankle, right ankle, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus disabilities were denied. The claim of service connection for anxiety and depression secondary to PTSD was granted. However, the Board found no current disability for the left knee.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially or materially to his death. The VA treatment records and the appellant's contentions will be reviewed for a new expert medical opinion.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent prior to August 24, 2017. The rating for PTSD remains at 70 percent after that date. Service connection for GERD and Hypertension are remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has decided to remand the case for a new examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD is granted, and the issue of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent disability rating, effective from the date of the decision. For the period prior to September 26, 2016, the Veteran meets the criteria for a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, but granted a TDIU from September 12, 2007 onwards. The decision also noted that separate additional ratings due to service-connected diabetes were not warranted.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) due to the absence of a diagnosis of PTSD, as well as the lack of evidence linking MDD to service.