PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD due to military sexual trauma, major depressive disorder, and cannabis use. The Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his in-service stressors.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling, but the Board denied a higher rating. The TDIU claim was also denied as there was insufficient evidence to show that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to maintain gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claims for increased rating for lumbosacral spine strain, service connection for pulmonary embolism, and service connection for right lower extremity neuropathy are remanded. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s symptoms, while impairing his occupational and social functioning, did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic back disability was reopened due to new evidence provided by a military colleague who served with him in Vietnam.

The Veteran's headaches are found to be a symptom of his service-connected PTSD, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The issue of TDIU based on other service-connected disabilities is dismissed as moot due to the Veteran already receiving a 100% disability rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of diabetes mellitus type II with voiding dysfunction remains pending and requires further examination or opinion to determine if he meets the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including MDD and PTSD, secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, is remanded.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and other trauma- and stressor-related disorder. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss was denied a compensable rating.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition was aggravated by his military service. The disability rating is set at 100%.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea may be related to his service-connected PTSD, but an adequate medical opinion is needed to determine if this relationship exists and whether the sleep apnea was aggravated by PTSD.

The Veteran's initial compensable disability rating for a scar on the abdomen and an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD are both denied. The Board found that there is no evidence to support higher ratings based on the severity and frequency of the Veteran’s symptoms.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication, including referral to the Director of Compensation Services for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's claim for reopening and establishing service connection for PTSD was granted. The Board found new and material evidence to support the claim, including a VA examination that linked the Veteran's PTSD to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and increased ratings for major depressive disorder are remanded due to the need for a VA examination. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at the highest available schedular rating of 70 percent. The ratings for fibromyalgia and IBS have been adjusted to reflect their current status.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted service connection with an effective date of November 28, 2017. A separate rating for OSA is denied. Service connection for migraine headaches and tinnitus were granted, while vertigo remains denied.

The claim for service connection of various conditions, including low back disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, restless leg syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, hypothalamus disability, and others is granted. However, the rating for a thoracic spine disorder remains remanded, as does the claims for sleep disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD and bipolar I disorder was dismissed due to the Veteran’s death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to procedural issues and the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, low back sprain, and bilateral pes planus.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to PTSD, finding that it materially contributed to his death from a horseback riding accident.