PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial disability rating for PTSD was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying the TDIU for accrued purposes.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's PTSD with cannabis use disorder should be remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 22, 2010 for the grant of service connection for PTSD. The decision was based on the fact that there was no diagnosis of PTSD at the time of the original denial in December 1996 and that additional service department records did not change this conclusion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorders and their relationship to service, particularly her in-service sexual trauma.

The Board denied service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD in the record.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of March 19, 2014 for the 100 percent rating for PTSD. The Veteran had total occupational and social impairment as of that date.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent throughout the appeal period, meeting the criteria for a TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disorder during the appeal period, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder was denied since October 16, 2019. He is currently rated at 70 percent for these conditions effective from October 16, 2019.

The Veteran's application to reopen claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a neuropsychiatric disorder was granted. Claims for diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), occipital neuralgia, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD were denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disabilities, specifically PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder including depression.

The Veteran has been unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 13, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board finds that the Veteran's entitlement to TDIU for this period is warranted.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of compliance with previous instructions regarding a VA examination. The Veteran is entitled to an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for an increased evaluation of PTSD and TDIU are remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess his current PTSD severity, as well as the inextricably intertwined nature of these issues.

The Board has granted a higher rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, finding that his symptoms more nearly approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work and family relations.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease (claimed as angina) due to herbicide exposure, and assigned a 30 percent rating effective July 23, 2012.,Service connection was also granted for PTSD based on presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service. The effective date of this grant is set at July 23, 2012.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to lack of a current diagnosis. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including unspecified depressive disorder and/or bipolar disorder, related to his left shoulder disability is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened due to new and material evidence. The Board has also remanded the cases of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and erectile dysfunction.