PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and therefore the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has determined that the medical opinions are inadequate and a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the nature and etiology of sleep apnea, including whether it is related to service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD and other service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, and has remanded his claims for service connection for a back disorder, left arm disorder, and left leg disorder due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal is partially granted, with an initial rating of 50% for PTSD from November 12, 2013 to April 25, 2016. The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for PTSD prior to that date and after April 25, 2016, as well as her claim for service connection for TBI, is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient VA treatment records, inadequate examination reports, and issues raised by the July 2014 VA examiner.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, the maximum rating available. The Board found that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than post-traumatic stress disorder, including depression and anxiety; sleep apnea; and headaches. The diagnoses are based on the Veteran's reported symptoms and medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and a residual scar associated with prostate cancer, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted TDIU based on the combined disability rating of 70 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's VR&E services request should be remanded due to incomplete records and need for a new vocational rehabilitation evaluation considering her current symptomatology.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at the highest possible schedular rating of 100 percent, effective from the date of the decision. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected PTSD is dismissed as moot since the Veteran now receives a 100 percent schedular rating for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was not rendered unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities for any period during the rating period on appeal.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and PTSD, as there was no evidence of a verified in-service stressor or relationship to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between sleep apnea and PTSD. The Veteran's representative argued that VA failed to consider whether sleep apnea is secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Catholic Medical Center from May 4, 2015 to May 6, 2015 is denied because the treatment was not for an emergency condition and VA facilities were feasibly available.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and TDIU due to incomplete records and lack of substantial compliance with previous remand instructions.

The Veteran's claims for an increased disability rating for PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from Vet Centers.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected degenerative disc disease. Other claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to earlier effective date for service connection of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, increased rating for PTSD, and service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's claim was previously denied in September 2004 due to failure to respond to requests for information regarding stressors. The Board is now tasked with determining if an earlier effective date can be assigned.

The Veteran's PTSD and depression are rated as 50 percent disabling from May 1, 2013. The Board denied a higher rating for these conditions.