PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, which included PTSD and Parkinson's disease, was related to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death is granted.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of January 22, 2008 for the grant of a TDIU rating due to service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's PTSD prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment since that date.

The Veteran's PTSD disability is currently rated at 70 percent, effective August 13, 2013. The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain relevant medical records and determine if a higher rating or TDIU is warranted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, PTSD, and headaches have been denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for hemorrhoids and bilateral plantar fasciitis are set at May 8, 2015. The Veteran is granted a 10 percent evaluation for his hemorrhoids but not for his bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of PTSD, and the Board has dismissed this issue.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective date and increased rating are addressed in a separate decision. The appellant died during the pendency of these appeals, so the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of evidence showing regulation of activities.,For his upper extremities, the Veteran’s peripheral neuropathy was rated as 10 percent prior to August 16, 2017 and 20 percent thereafter. The Board determined these ratings were appropriate based on mild symptoms affecting only the median nerve.

The claim to reopen the finally disallowed PTSD claim is granted. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and PTSD, is denied.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous directives and additional development is needed, including searching for unit records and military police logs from the Veteran's service in Germany.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was received in October 2014, and he was granted service connection effective March 20, 2014. The Board found no prior claim or informal claim prior to March 20, 2014, thus denying an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened, and he is granted secondary service connection. His tinnitus is rated at the maximum allowable under VA guidelines. The Veteran's CAD with stable angina is rated as 10 percent disabling since July 1, 2014. He is granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD with depressive symptoms. His bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable initial rating.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms are currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the criteria for this condition. The Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they do not meet the criteria for more severe disability.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are causally related to his in-service stressors and that there is a valid current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a back disability, but denied all other claims.,PTSD was previously denied and is not being reconsidered.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, IRS tax returns, and a medical opinion regarding his erectile dysfunction. The issues of service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss (which was dismissed), and erectile dysfunction are also being addressed.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since November 4, 2009. The claim for a higher rating prior to that date was denied, and the effective date of his increased rating has been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and peripheral neuropathy, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from September 27, 2015. TDIU is granted for this period.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status based on his service-connected disabilities.