PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and secondary service connection for MDD and psychotic disorder with hallucinations due to the Veteran's service-connected Parkinson's disease.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if service connection can be established for PTSD, and to assess the current level of severity of TMJ.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including a review of his employment history and clarification of periods of unemployment due to service-connected disabilities. The increased rating claim will be deferred until this additional development is completed.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, but no higher, and the claim for a higher initial rating is granted.

From April 11, 2014 to September 20, 2017, the Veteran's PTSD did not present significant impairment.,From September 21, 2017 to January 31, 2019, the Veteran experienced occasional work efficiency and social impairment.,Since February 1, 2019, the Veteran’s PTSD caused severe occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the claim for a higher rating for PTSD due to insufficient discussion of occupational impairment in the original decision. The Court found that VA should obtain additional records and conduct another examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected mental disorder, including differentiating between symptoms attributable to PTSD and those from non-service connected Major Depressive Disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD and depression, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current conditions and service.

The Board has restored service connection for PTSD, finding that the original grant of service connection was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, finding that the evidence did not support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded due to inadequate notice of the upcoming VA examination. The initial rating for PTSD is also being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and other conditions were denied. The case was remanded for further development on several issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD will be reviewed with a new examination and opinion from a psychologist.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to June 3, 2011 did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's PTSD with Dissociative Symptoms with Delayed Expression is due to stressors experienced during service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange and firefights in the Korean DMZ. The VA needs to contact the JSRRC for unit records to determine if the Veteran was exposed to these factors during his service.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD. The motion to revise or reverse based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in this decision is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and further development is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he continues to operate his own bingo supply business and only missed one week of work in the past year. The evidence does not support a finding of marginal employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee, left arm, and lower back disabilities. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD) is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD and TBI residuals are rated at 70% each, effective from May 2, 2019. The Veteran's migraines have not met the criteria for a higher rating.