PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent effective September 8, 2010. The Board finds that the criteria for a 50 percent rating have been met and grants this rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to incomplete VA examinations and lack of attempts to obtain treatment records from incarcerated facilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hiatal hernia with GERD, coronary artery disease, PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantial gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's death was not due to willful misconduct, and he had a service-connected disability (PTSD) rated at 100% for less than the required 10 years before his death. Therefore, DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 are denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is being remanded for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions (PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus) did not contribute to his death by homicide. The medical opinions provided significant weight against the appellant’s claim.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and tinnitus render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, meeting the requirements for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's PTSD and depression are being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected conditions, as well as his reports of constant suicidal thoughts. The claim will be readjudicated after obtaining any relevant private counseling records.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective December 18, 2006. He also received a TDIU from March 23, 2012.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable during the period from August 31, 2010 to February 27, 2013. The Board denied his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) in this decision.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of this decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction) have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the severity of his PTSD symptoms.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it is not related to the Veteran's service or his service-connected PTSD. The decision also addressed secondary service connection but found no evidence of a causal link between the sleep apnea and the service-connected PTSD.

The Board has decided that an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is denied, and the issue of service connection for Sleep Apnea is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, and bilateral pes planus due to lack of a valid diagnosis for PTSD and the absence of evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is characterized by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent rating.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, which the VA has determined was caused by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, while his claim for major depressive disorder was granted. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Depression, is related to his service. The VA will need to provide a medical opinion on these issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation during the appeal period.