PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent for the entire initial rating period from October 7, 2009. The VA has ordered a remand to assess the severity of her left and right shoulder disabilities and to consider her TDIU claim.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. Prior to September 20, 2018, the initial rating for PTSD remains at 70 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was dismissed as the appeal has been resolved. The claim of service connection for HCV is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and obstructive sleep apnea. The claims for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of Major Depressive Disorder was granted, but the appeal regarding his prostate cancer evaluation is being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol use disorder due to military sexual trauma is granted a 70% rating from November 1, 2015, to prior to January 4, 2017. A higher rating is denied for the period of January 4, 2017, to prior to March 21, 2018, and from June 1, 2018, onwards.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for PTSD and diabetes, resulting in the dismissal of the appeal.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, is granted as service connected due to the balance of positive and negative evidence being in equipoise.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches are granted a 50% evaluation, effective April 24, 2012. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is dismissed as moot due to the grant of a total schedular rating for PTSD and SMC.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate April 2014 VA examination and a need for further evaluation of the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating. The appeal is remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation higher than 70 percent for service-connected PTSD and TDIU prior to August 15, 2016 is being remanded due to the need for additional development. The effective date of December 27, 1991 for the grant of service connection for PTSD remains unchanged.

The Veteran's PTSD rating was restored to 50 percent effective January 1, 2015. The TDIU entitlement was also restored from that date.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since the initial grant of service connection, effective from September 5, 2008. The rating is based on the criteria for a disability due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 50 percent initial disability rating prior to November 15, 2016. The decision found that the Veteran met criteria for reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective relationships.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was granted effective May 9, 2016. The RO also granted SMC and DEA benefits at that time.,Prior to this decision, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for earlier effective dates as his service-connected disabilities did not warrant such an award.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions do not render him totally unemployable.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for dermatitis and an acquired psychiatric disability due to insufficient evidence. The appellant will be provided with examinations to determine if he currently has these conditions, and whether they are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a psychiatric disability other than PTSD, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and a compensable initial rating prior to July 17, 2017, and in excess of 70 percent on and after July 17, 2017, for residuals of TBI have all been dismissed due to the Veteran's requests to withdraw these appeals.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss) do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to May 2, 2011. The Board denied the claim for TDIU on an extraschedular basis.