PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder NOS and generalized anxiety disorder, effective from September 10, 2018. The case is remanded to determine if the Veteran should be granted an increased rating or service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to his failure to report for VA examinations and the need for updated treatment records. The claims will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to June 14, 2017 is remanded due to incomplete employment history and lack of information on his training and skills. The Veteran needs to provide a VA Form 21-4192 and additional information from previous employers.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination to assess the Veteran's PTSD. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to its inextricability with the rating issue.

The Veteran's appeal of the increased rating for bilateral tinnitus is dismissed. The claim for service connection for OSA and residuals of a TBI are reopened, but the request to reopen claims for PTSD, hiatal hernia and esophageal ulcer, and abdominal scar are denied.

The Veteran's appeal involves increased ratings for PTSD and a TDIU. The initial rating of 30% for PTSD prior to December 6, 2016 is denied.,For the period from December 6, 2016 onwards, an increase in rating beyond 50% for PTSD is also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered her unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, qualifying for TDIU. She is also entitled to SMC at the housebound rate due to her PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder is rated at 100 percent effective June 23, 2010. The Veteran also receives SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) from December 1, 2016.

The Board dismissed the appeal of the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to the appellant's withdrawal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, has been rated at 70 percent since March 7, 1995 to July 11, 2016. The Board found that the symptoms have resulted in severe impairment in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.

The Veteran's need for aid and attendance was not due to service-connected disabilities, but rather due to nonservice-connected conditions like dementia, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and cerebral infarction. The Board found the criteria for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status were not met.

The Board has denied increased ratings for PTSD and remanded the case to clarify service dates and assess the right foot disorder. The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50% since October 10, 2019, but his claim for a higher rating remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and coronary artery disease, have rendered them unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted because the evidence shows he experienced in-service stressors and has a diagnosed PTSD that is linked to those stressors.

The Board has remanded the DIC claim due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's cause of death and if so, which ones. The appellant asserts that TBI, PTSD, prostate cancer, and scalp scars may have aggravated hypertensive cardiomyopathy.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete verification of the appellant's service on May 20, 1986. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for his service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new examination.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective April 1, 2012. Service connection for left and right foot neuralgia secondary to bilateral plantar fasciitis is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder, left leg disorder, and psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) have been granted. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a right foot fracture has also been granted.,However, the Board found that there is no reasonable possibility that further assistance would substantiate the claims as they are not related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol dependence is currently rated at 70 percent effective March 12, 2019. The Board finds that the criteria for a disability evaluation in excess of 50 percent prior to April 17, 2018, have not been met.