PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is rated at 40 percent from January 22, 2019. The PTSD prior to November 7, 2012, and from November 7, 2012, are both rated at 50 percent and 70 percent respectively. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, unspecified anxiety disorder, and alcohol use disorder; separately rated disabilities for these conditions; and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran is also required to undergo another VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his PTSD, prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the severity of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for readjudication due to new VA treatment records, and will consider service connection on its merits.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and prostate cancer disabilities prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU rating.

The Board has revised the effective date of service connection for PTSD from January 30, 2012 to March 31, 2008 due to clear and unmistakable error in the July 17, 2012 rating decision.

The Board has ordered a remand for the Veteran to be evaluated by VA regarding his claim of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, and whether he has an additional disability caused by VA treatment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the loss or loss of use of a hand or foot, permanent vision impairment of both eyes, a severe burn injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ankylosis of a knee or hip. Therefore, he is not eligible for financial assistance for an automobile and adaptive equipment.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD, but the Board finds that constructive possession of new and material evidence was not established within the one-year appeal period.,The Veteran also seeks an earlier effective date for TDIU, but the Board finds that the schedular criteria were not met until October 11, 2002.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and diabetes prevent him from obtaining and securing substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent prior to May 19, 2015. From July 18, 2013 to May 19, 2015, a higher rating for PTSD was denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, and PTSD have been granted. The Veteran was exposed to loud noise during service which led to current disabilities of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Service connection is also granted for a lumbar spine disability due to in-service injury and for PTSD based on credible reports of witnessing the death of a shipmate.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary due to the potential of worsening in the Veteran's PTSD and lower back disability, as well as his TDIU claim. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations for both conditions and a review of his employment history.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea is remanded due to a lack of a VA examination and an incomplete opinion regarding the relationship between his PTSD and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective September 11, 2017. The claim for a higher rating and earlier effective date are both denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU are remanded due to insufficient evidence. Additional medical records need to be obtained, including from SSA and private providers like Clovis Counseling and a Roswell psychologist. A new VA examination is needed to address whether PTSD was aggravated by service or caused by in-service stressors.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent effective January 16, 2015. The Board also found that the earlier effective date of January 16, 2015 was appropriate for the grant of a 70 percent rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected, and the rating for Dupuytren's contracture of the right hand is remanded. The claims for diabetes mellitus type II, glaucoma, spine disability, and hypertension are also remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and PTSD have been granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service in Thailand.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of his right shoulder disability and headache disability. The left knee and right knee disabilities are now considered as secondary to a pre-existing condition (lumbar spine).