PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration. The Veteran's representative must be provided a copy of the August 2019 statement of the case/supplemental statement of the case, and there is a need to perfect an appeal on the issue of service connection for a heart condition status post surgery within 60 days. The TDIU claim remains pending.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have resulted in total social and occupational impairment, warranting a 100 percent disability rating. The TDIU claim is dismissed as moot since the Veteran now has a 100 percent schedular disability rating for his PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as an acquired psychiatric disability. The VA will obtain additional medical opinions to address the etiology of these conditions and verify the Veteran's claimed stressors.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted an initial 70 percent evaluation prior to October 1, 2016. The disability results in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent prior to February 10, 2017 and denied for a higher rating after that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and major depression, is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a psychiatric examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and needs to obtain additional records, including VA treatment records and service medical personnel records. The Veteran's PTSD rating remains at 50 percent.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional medical records related to her service-connected PTSD and any residual effects from a 2013 motor vehicle accident.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD does not meet the percentage requirements for TDIU, but there is evidence suggesting he may be unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his disability. The Board has referred this issue to the Director of Compensation Service for an extra-schedular evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, an increased disability rating for a right foot injury, and an increased disability rating for anxiety disorder were dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD was denied.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and PTSD have been denied. The claim for PTSD was reopened due to new evidence, but the Board found no current diagnosis of PTSD. Service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and for TDIU due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence.,The claims for service connection for a left knee condition, right knee condition, hearing loss, hypertension, hypertensive cardiovascular heart disease, and gastritis have also been reopened.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD), right knee disability, respiratory disability, polycythemia vera, lower extremity neuropathy, ischemic heart disease, traumatic brain injury, and eye disability have all been granted.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's death was not due to service-connected PTSD, and the appellant did not file a timely claim for accrued benefits within one year of his death. The Board denied the claim as there were no accrued benefits due.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's reported stressors and need for further development, including verification of MST and combat-related stressors. The Veteran is also required to undergo a VA examination to clarify his current mental health diagnoses.

The Veteran's claims for a higher PTSD rating and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including more contemporaneous examinations and consideration of all relevant evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to insufficient examinations and incomplete records. The issues include service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a seizure disorder, and increased ratings for left knee and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety, is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the claimed stressors. The Veteran was not provided with a VA examination as requested.