PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's PTSD and left knee instability are granted, with a separate 10% rating for the left knee instability effective from March 12, 2013. The degenerative joint disease of the left knee is rated at 10%. No new or material evidence was presented to reopen the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD does not prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment, as his symptoms have not caused sufficiently severe impairment to prevent him from engaging in substantial gainful activity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased PTSD and TDIU due to incomplete development of records and need for updated examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of OSA, increased rating for respiratory disorder, and an increase in the rating for PTSD have been denied. The Veteran was granted a 70% rating for PTSD but no higher.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claims, particularly concerning his acquired psychiatric disability and service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD were denied. The TDIU issue is inextricably intertwined with the PTSD rating issue.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence. The claims for increased ratings for coronary artery disease and PTSD are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for extraschedular consideration due to the severity of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, as his hearing loss and tinnitus would have no impact on his employability. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against a claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted on November 10, 2016. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date is November 10, 2016 and denied earlier effective dates.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD symptoms cause him to be unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment. The severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran’s PTSD symptoms do not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected due to combat-related stressors during his military service, with the Board resolving any doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected. The right ear hearing loss and skin condition (prurigo nodularis) cases are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded several of the Veteran's claims for further development, including increased rating claims and service connection claims. The decision on these issues is pending.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective December 21, 2012. A TDIU rating is granted effective January 1, 2015. The remaining issues on appeal are dismissed.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection of the residuals of a sprained right ankle, left and right PFS, and PTSD due to final denials prior to May 14, 2014.,VA received claims for these conditions after May 14, 2014, which were reopened based on new evidence. The effective dates are set at the date of receipt of the reopened claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The issues of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, increased rating for prostate cancer, and TDIU are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD claim is denied due to unverified stressors. The cataract, bilateral cortical and dermatochalasis claims are remanded for further development as they are inextricably intertwined with his tension headaches claim. The skin disability claim is also remanded for an examination regarding HPV.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is granted service connection, but his PTSD and tinnitus claims are denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for hypertension and PTSD were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show that the Veteran’s blood pressure readings predominantly met the criteria for a higher rating, nor did it reflect occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to PTSD symptoms.