PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 22, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder and PTSD, was denied as there is no current diagnosis of such disorders.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, right hip, psychiatric disabilities (including PTSD and alcohol abuse disorder), and tinnitus due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of clarity in determining whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities interfere with his ability to dress, undress, feed himself, attend to the wants of nature, and protect himself from hazards. The Veteran is currently service connected for PTSD, DDD, hypothyroidism, strain left knee, strain right knee, degenerative changes in right hip, degenerative changes in left hip, and cervical spine issues.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss is denied, and his TDIU claim is moot due to the 100% schedular rating he received effective June 23, 2011.

The Board denied service connection for a disability manifested by loss of consciousness episodes and an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, including as due to in-service chemical exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The case will be sent back to the AOJ for further development and a medical opinion.

The Board has granted a 100% disability rating for major depressive disorder, recurrent (claimed as PTSD) for the period on appeal due to total occupational and social impairment caused by symptoms such as suicidal ideation, depression, hypervigilance, anxiety, memory loss, paranoia-like symptoms, suspiciousness, chronic sleep impairment, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and physical aggression.

From November 10, 2011, the Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD resulted in total occupational and social impairment prior to January 3, 2020. As a result, the Board granted an initial rating of 100 percent for PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left pneumothorax and his request for an increased rating for PTSD, both finding that there was no current disability related to any pneumothorax. The Board also found that the Veteran is not entitled to a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.,The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD from 70 percent to higher as it did not meet the criteria for such, and granted entitlement to a TDIU based on the severity of his service-connected PTSD symptoms.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, which reflects the severity of his symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and mild memory loss. The Board found that these symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to the grant of PTSD. The remaining issues were denied as not supported by evidence or secondary to pre-existing conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial increased rating for PTSD and entitlement to a TDIU due to procedural issues. The effective date of award claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 50 percent prior to October 5, 2019, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter for PTSD with major depression and alcohol abuse, as well as for a TDIU prior to that date. The Board dismissed these appeals.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent disability rating. However, the claim for TDIU was denied due to lack of evidence showing he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is withdrawn.,The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fascitis is granted, and the appeal is allowed to that extent only.,Service connection for PTSD and depression are denied.,The Veteran’s bilateral plantar fascitis with equinus deformity is remanded for further evaluation.,The Veteran's left wrist condition and bilateral hearing loss are also remanded for further evaluation.,The Veteran has not been shown to meet the DSM-V criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD or depression during the appeals period.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to an inadequate examination regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is denied, but his PTSD is granted with a 70% disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, was denied as there is no credible evidence to support the claimed in-service stressors.