PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD and latent schizophrenia due to incomplete records from the Veteran's claimed period of service in Vietnam. The VA must attempt to obtain any outstanding service treatment records and personnel records for the period from January 1, 1972, to December 26, 1973.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for service connection for PTSD and GERD as secondary to a psychiatric disability. The issues of service connection for PTSD and GERD are being returned to the RO for additional processing.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cause of death, DIC pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1151, and burial benefits due to incomplete development and need for new medical opinions.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol use disorder is rated at 70% disabling since May 7, 2013. The appeal for higher ratings and TDIU status has been denied.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder is rated at 100 percent effective from July 1, 2018. This rating reflects the Veteran's total occupational and social impairment due to symptoms such as suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities, near continuous panic or depression affecting his ability to function independently, appropriately, and effectively.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, specifically obesity.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to unresolved issues regarding service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and a skin disability. The appeals are currently pending.

The Board granted a 50% rating for PTSD from August 30, 2017 forward, finding that the Veteran's symptoms warranted such a rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The effective date was set at July 25, 2012.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the current severity of his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and/or acquired psychiatric disorder are related to his active service. The claims will be reconsidered after the additional evidence is obtained.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and TDIU. The decision found that there was no current diagnosis of PTSD, and thus could not grant service connection. For TDIU, the Board determined that the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and clarifying employment history.

The Board has reopened several service connection claims but denied others. The Veteran's PTSD with insomnia, depression, tinnitus, low back disability, and neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are now granted. However, his hypertension, bilateral foot disabilities, sleep apnea, right and left upper and lower extremity neuropathies, and heart disability remain denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to May 14, 2010, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of January 22, 1980 for the grant of service connection for PTSD and anxiety disorder. The Veteran's claim was based on new STRs obtained in August 2011.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted an initial rating of 70 percent, effective September 27, 2010. The Veteran's eligibility for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disorders (TDIU) has also been granted, effective September 27, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as she and her representative have withdrawn all issues in appeal status.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and diabetes, do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that TDIU is denied as his combined rating is at least 80 percent.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain is denied.,Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied as it is not related to the service-connected lumbosacral strain.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral idiopathic neuropathy and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) are remanded, as well as his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted with a rating of 50 percent prior to November 7, 2016. Service connection for a lung disorder and chronic fatigue are denied.