PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for right upper extremity and low back disabilities, as well as liver disability. The Veteran's original claim of service connection for eye disability was denied due to lack of a disability subject to service connection. Service connection for PTSD is denied because there is no evidence of a diagnosable PTSD during the appeal period. Liver disability claims are remanded for further examination and determination.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression has been granted an initial rating of 70 percent, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as he still has occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), previously claimed as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, finding that it is related to his military service.

The Board has granted Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as the Veteran's death was due to a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder. The decision found that there was no current diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with DSM-IV criteria and insufficient evidence to establish a direct link between the claimed conditions and service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and has remanded his TDIU claim due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has found that the RO did not substantially comply with the directives set forth in the December 2019 remand for the right foot condition claim. The Veteran's right foot condition is being remanded again due to inadequate VA opinion regarding its etiology. For the acquired psychiatric disorder, the Board finds a current PTSD diagnosis and requests an addendum opinion to clarify whether it was caused or aggravated by service-connected left foot condition.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to July 12, 2018 did not meet the criteria for a 100 percent rating due to less severe and frequent symptoms compared to those required for a 100 percent rating. The Board found that his symptoms more closely approximated a 70 percent rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of brain hemorrhage as secondary to his service-connected PTSD has been granted, and he is now rated at 100 percent for both PTSD and residuals of brain hemorrhage.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as related to his military service.,The Veteran's inguinal hernia is denied as not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The Veteran's reported stressors during service are also being reviewed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and need for a new evaluation of PTSD. The Veteran's claim for an increased initial rating is also inextricably intertwined with this issue.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to establish whether the Veteran had service in Vietnam, which could have led to his PTSD and subsequent suicide. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, eligibility for financial assistance for automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment, or for adaptive equipment only, and SMC for loss of use of a foot has been denied. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was dismissed because the appellant died during the appeal process.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, and hearing loss do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and denied his claims for service connection for a right hip disability, hypertension, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal condition, and erectile dysfunction. The claims are remanded for further development including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, was granted. The Board found new and material evidence since the May 2012 rating decision that supports a diagnosis of PTSD related to in-service stressors.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a psychiatric examination.