PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Board has vacated the part of the July 2018 decision that denied a rating in excess of 70 percent prior to January 22, 2018 for PTSD due to an unfulfilled Privacy Act request. The remaining parts of the decision are upheld. The claim is REMANDED for additional development regarding employment records and VA treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since the grant of service connection, effective prior to April 11, 2014. The appeal for a higher rating or TDIU was denied.

The Veteran was granted a 100% educational assistance benefit level under the Post-9/11 GI Bill due to his service-connected disabilities and over 30 continuous days of active duty.

The Veteran's right heel spur and PTSD are granted service connection, while the remaining issues related to shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, cervical strain with spasms, ring finger fracture, and pseudofolliculitis barbae are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected defective hearing was found to be noncompensable, and he is granted a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities. The effective date for the TDIU will be determined by the AOJ.

The Veteran's appeal for higher disability ratings for left knee degenerative joint disease and PTSD has been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for reopening his service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is remanded. The TDIU issue is also remanded due to its inextricability with the reopening issue.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of the reopened claim in June 2011. The Board also granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

PTSD is rated at 70 percent from January 27, 2015 to April 19, 2018. Other service-connected disabilities are not currently on appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, also claimed as migraines and PTSD. The Veteran was remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding his left knee disability and back disability.,The Veteran's unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness, also claimed as undiagnosed illness due to Gulf War, is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have manifested during service and granted. The psychiatric disorder claim is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as he has a current diagnosis of PTSD and the claimed stressor, which involved fear of hostile military activity during his deployment in Saudi Arabia, is related to his service. The Board found that the Veteran met the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis based on DSM-IV/DSM-5 standards.

The Veteran's service connection claim for other specified anxiety disorder is granted, while the claim for PTSD remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, tinea versicolor, cervical myositis, and cervicogenic headaches are granted with effective dates of April 3, 2012. However, the Board has remanded several issues including an increased rating for PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for stomach disorder, low sperm count, skin disorder, PTSD, and psychiatric disorder due to the Veteran's failure to report for VA examinations scheduled in conjunction with his claims.

The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to esophageal carcinoma, which the Board found not service-connected. PTSD was noted as a significant condition contributing to his death but did not result in the underlying cause.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus, a headache disorder, PTSD, and type II diabetes mellitus as due to herbicide agent exposure (claimed as Agent Orange). The appeals are not related to service connection issues.

The Board found that termination of TDIU from December 1, 2017 was not proper due to the Veteran's employer providing special accommodations for his service-connected disabilities. The earlier effective date claim for June 1, 2015 is also remanded.