PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU rating for the periods specified.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD) due to lack of new and material evidence for the hearing loss claim, insufficient evidence linking the disabilities to service, and no current disability found for the psychiatric disorder.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations did not fully address the Veteran's claims for service connection, and thus the case is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the receipt of additional VA medical records. The case will be reviewed by the RO, and a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) will be issued.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disability have been denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or service connection based on the criteria provided.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, is denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosis of PTSD or other mental disorders during active duty or within one year after discharge. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for VA medical treatment under 38 U.S.C. § 1702.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric conditions, and additional records are needed.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for PTSD and service connection for a left ankle disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining records from his Army Reserve service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to non-compliance with previous directives and additional development is needed, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to issues related to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and adjustment disorder. The Veteran's claim was reopened on new evidence but denied as his current diagnosis of PTSD is not related to the in-service stressor.

The Veteran's headaches are proximately due to his service-connected PTSD and tinnitus, and the Board has granted entitlement to service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD results in no more than occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. The Board denied the claim for an increased rating higher than 30 percent for service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected residuals of a thoracic spine scar was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show three or four scars that were unstable or painful, and therefore, a higher rating could not be granted. For the TDIU claim prior to July 19, 2017, the Veteran's disabilities rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of these conditions. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors, schedule him for a VA examination to determine if he meets the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disability using DSM-V criteria, and provide an opinion on whether his sleep apnea is related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed disabilities were caused by or resulted from his own willful misconduct and, therefore, were not incurred in the line of duty.

The Veteran's PTSD and dysthymic disorder have been rated at 70 percent, effective November 5, 2010. The Board also granted a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the evaluation of PTSD with other specified depressive disorder NOS and cannabis use disorder, effective prior to April 27, 2015, and from that date onwards. The Board dismissed these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, as secondary to service-connected left shoulder disability and hepatitis C. The claim of service connection for PTSD remains pending due to conflicting medical evidence.

The Board has denied service connection for cold injury residuals to the feet due to lack of current diagnosis. The case is remanded for further examination and consideration of other issues including PTSD, thyroid disability, and hearing loss.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied because he did not provide sufficient information about his current income and employment status to establish that he is unemployable due to his service-connected PTSD.