PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD and remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD. The case is now pending again with additional development required.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA examination, and requests that a medical opinion be obtained regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, headaches, ischemic heart disease, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted entitlement to a Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, effective December 30, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and OSA, but denied service connection for a left elbow disorder. The claim for a bilateral foot disorder was remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to new evidence received after the most recent Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to September 14, 2017. The Board found that the Veteran was able to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation despite his PTSD symptoms.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the Veteran's report of worsening PTSD symptoms after her November 2014 deployment, and a VA examination is needed to evaluate the severity of her service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as it is related to a military sexual trauma (MST) witnessed during service, and the claim is based on new evidence provided by family members.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to her withdrawal request. The issues of an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are inextricably intertwined, so both were withdrawn.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50% prior to April 11, 2015 and denied a higher rating. From that date forward, the Veteran is granted a 70% rating for PTSD effective April 11, 2015.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the effective date of his PTSD rating is dismissed because it was not within the jurisdiction of the Board.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further action on the issue of service connection for sleep apnea.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to August 4, 2017 was manifested by symptoms such as depressed mood and anxiety, causing occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. The Board found that these symptoms did not warrant a rating higher than 30 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in total occupational and social impairment, leading to a grant of an initial 100% rating. The claim for TDIU is moot due to the granted PTSD rating. DIC benefits were denied as the Veteran did not meet the required criteria.

The Board has found that the VA examinations and medical opinions are inadequate for adjudicating the Veteran's claims, particularly regarding the relationship between his prostate cancer and service as well as the diagnosis of PTSD. The Board has therefore ordered remand to obtain additional examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and for TDIU due to new evidence received after the August 2018 SOC.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service connected, with the Board finding that his current psychiatric disability is related to service and has been recurrent since then.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current psychiatric symptoms are not related to his military service.