PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's hypertension is granted with a 10% rating from August 24, 2011. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral knee disorders due to potential new evidence received since the last final decision.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms were productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking or mood from December 1, 2008 to November 21, 2014. A rating of 70 percent was granted for this period.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to October 30, 2015. The Board found that his multiple non-service connected disabilities, including back problems, peripheral neuropathy, sleep apnea, and COPD, were the primary factors preventing his employment.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for left leg, right leg, mouth, low back, and upper back disabilities have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) has been remanded. The appeal for service connection for seizures, to include on a secondary basis, has also been remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of PTSD and depression. The Veteran's employment status is also being reviewed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to herbicides and a need for further medical evaluation of his psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 50 percent rating from July 18, 2010 to April 20, 2017.,A 70 percent rating for PTSD was granted from April 21, 2017 to September 24, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and hypertension. The evidence shows that her sleep apnea is related to her PTSD, which in turn is linked to her hypertension.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis have been rated, but the claim for an earlier effective date for these conditions remains unresolved.,The Veteran's asthma has also been rated, but his claim for an earlier effective date is being remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings for various neuropathies, a PTSD rating, and service connection for a skin disability have been dismissed as the Veteran has withdrawn all claims currently on appeal.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to the Veteran's failure to report for VA examinations and unclear notification of examination schedules.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD is rated at 70 percent from November 9, 2009 to June 25, 2017. A rating of more than 70 percent for PTSD with MDD since June 26, 2017 is denied.

The Board has remanded the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, due to issues with service connection theory and need for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, erectile dysfunction secondary to ischemic heart disease, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 50 percent rating, effective from September 20, 2017. The rating will be subject to the rules and regulations governing the award of monetary benefits.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 17, 2017 for a 50 percent evaluation of his PTSD because there was no increase in disability within the one-year look-back period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not more closely approximate the level of impairment required for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD and remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's in-service stressors and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's SMC at the (l) rate is granted due to his service-connected asthma and PTSD, which combined make him in need of regular aid and attendance. The appeal for a higher level of SMC was not addressed as it was deemed ancillary to the main claim.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, depression and anxiety, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his active duty service. The decision is based on evidence of a verified in-service stressor event.