PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Veteran is granted an earlier effective date of February 5, 2016 for a 70 percent disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss.,The Veteran is also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from September 21, 2012.

The claims for service connection of hepatitis C and posttraumatic stress disorder have been reopened, but the issues of increased ratings for left wrist fracture with strain and left elbow arthralgia, as well as TDIU, are still pending.,Additional evidence has been submitted to support reopening of the hepatitis C and PTSD claims. However, further development is needed in order to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent prior to October 5, 2017 and 70 percent thereafter. The appeal for an increased rating for PTSD prior to October 5, 2017 remains pending.,Service connection for PTSD was granted effective from October 30, 2015, and service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted effective from June 7, 2013. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent since June 7, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and depressive disorder with psychotic features cause or aggravate his asthma.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective December 12, 2014. The appeal for a higher rating or an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD was denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric and orthopedic disorders. The Veteran is presumed sound upon entry into service, but a new examination is required to determine if his current conditions are related to service.

The Board has dismissed all claims related to the Veteran's death, including service connection and rating issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for further development. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on all evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a rating of 70 percent, and his headache disability is granted service connection. The increased rating for PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's pineal cysts are granted service connection, while the issue of service connection for a psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) is remanded due to unresolved stressor verification.

The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD higher than 70 percent disabling, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 100 percent disability rating due to his ability to maintain social relationships and employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for PTSD due to incomplete VA treatment records. The Veteran is seeking higher ratings for his PTSD, and additional records are needed from the Kansas VAMC.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and alcohol use disorder, as well as his claim for an earlier effective date prior to June 12, 2014, have been dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for left-hand amputation as secondary to the service-connected disability of PTSD and alcohol use disorder has been remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD (claimed as anxiety and depression) is at least as likely as not related to his military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, major depressive disorder, cognitive disorder, and TBI, as well as residuals from scars on the forehead, are remanded due to lack of prior formal or informal application.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, including PTSD and anxiety disorder, is being remanded for a new examination to assess the severity of his condition. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to its inextricability with the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating of 100 percent prior to January 24, 2014 is remanded due to the misfiled January 2014 examination report. The VA needs to obtain SSA records and consider them in the readjudication.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, but his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (specifically chronic adjustment disorder with depressed mood) was granted.

The Veteran's appeal for an extension of a temporary total evaluation and increased rating for PTSD has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of representation by his attorney.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a TDIU based on service-connected disabilities was also denied.