PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened due to new and relevant evidence submitted after the January 2016 final denial. The case is now remanded for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his diagnosed acquired psychiatric disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than August 23, 2017 for the grant of service connection for left ear hearing loss and PTSD. The Board also denied the claim for service connection for hypertension due to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the timeliness of her VA Form 9 was dismissed as she did not wish to opt-in to the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). The Board does not have jurisdiction to review this issue.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD and anxiety, due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran reported multiple in-service stressors that need to be verified.

The Board has decided that a new VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran meets the DSM-5 criteria for any mental health condition, including PTSD. The examiner should also provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the acquired psychiatric disorder(s) had its onset during military service or is causally related to such service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran meets the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and whether there is a nexus between any diagnosed PTSD and in-service stressors.

The Veteran's sinusitis, acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD), and GERD have been granted service connection. The rating for GERD has been increased to 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD renders him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for acid reflux, right ankle disability, and gastrointestinal condition have been dismissed. A 70 percent rating has been granted for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD and MDD have been rated at 70 percent since March 4, 2019. The rating prior to that date was denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lordosis, a psychiatric disability other than generalized anxiety disorder (including PTSD and bipolar disorder), and an increased rating for generalized anxiety disorder. The Veteran is to be scheduled for VA examinations to assess his current level of severity for these conditions.

The Veteran seeks TDIU from August 1, 2011 to January 28, 2015 based on service-connected disabilities. However, the combined rating of these conditions does not meet the criteria for TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). The case is therefore remanded for referral to the VA Director of Compensation and Pension Service for consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD and a TDIU by reason of service-connected disabilities due to inadequate reasons and bases provided in the May 2018 decision. The Veteran is required to undergo a new VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and PTSD. The decision found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection as his conditions are not linked to military service or any in-service event.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, needs further development and is therefore remanded.

The Board denied service connection for Traumatic Brain Injury and granted an initial disability rating of 100 percent for PTSD with panic disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder. The effective date was set at July 17, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder is now rated at 70% from July 19, 2017. The rating for the left foot metatarsalgia was also granted.

The petition to reopen the previously-denied claim for service connection for right ankle tremors is granted. The Veteran's claims for increased rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder and service connection for a right ankle disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is reopened, but the Board has decided to remand the case due to need for additional development and clarification of his psychiatric disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for depression and a psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and adjustment disorder. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service stressors and his current symptoms related to rhabdomyolysis and shoulder impingement.