PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including an earlier effective date for scars status post surgery for lung cancer and reopening of prostate disorder and bladder disorder claims. The remaining appeals are also being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD is rated at a 70 percent rating prior to July 5, 2018. The Board found that the symptoms of reduced reliability and productivity due to flattened affect, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty in understanding complex commands, impairment of short and long term memory, impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty establishing effective work and social relationships meet the criteria for a 70 percent rating.

The Veteran is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The Board has determined that the Veteran's TDIU claim is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD, upper airway respiratory syndrome, right shoulder strain, right lateral epicondylitis, and right ankle sprain have been granted initial ratings of 70 percent each from October 1, 2012.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD due to military sexual trauma (MST) as the evidence is at least in equipoise that the Veteran's current PTSD resulted from this stressor.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and need for a new VA examination to address the Veteran's psychiatric diagnoses, their relationship to service, and whether they are related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 100% since December 13, 2017 and remains so until March 13, 2019. The rating is based on the severity of symptoms including occupational and social impairment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left wrist disability, right wrist disability, migraine headaches, psychiatric disorder (claimed as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and night terrors), degenerative arthritis of the spine (claimed as an upper and lower back condition), left leg disability (claimed as restless leg syndrome), and bilateral foot disability (claimed as flatfeet).,The Board has determined that there is insufficient evidence to support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, migraine headache disability, and ovarian disability prevented her from obtaining substantially gainful employment since November 8, 2017. The Board granted an effective date of November 8, 2017 for the TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not prevent her from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, so she is denied a TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected PTSD was granted effective May 1, 2017.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective July 11, 2018, due to symptoms of obsessional rituals, irritability, and difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 70 percent rating for PTSD, finding that it was not factually ascertainable that the Veteran’s PTSD increased in severity prior to October 2, 2019.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for PTSD because the Veteran's reported stressor was not corroborated and did not occur during combat.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for SMC at the housebound rate is denied as he does not meet the criteria for a single service-connected disability rated as total and additional disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or more.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, asthma, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to potential errors in the initial decision and need for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for consideration of whether the Veteran was unemployable by reason of service-connected disabilities prior to meeting the threshold schedular standards for a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) effective March 22, 2019. The case will also be considered for basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, prostate cancer prior to May 17, 2018, and CAD since December 2, 2019 were denied. The Veteran was granted a TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD claim is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and completing forms related to TDIU. The Board will also seek clarification on the July 2018 examiner's opinion and consider the effects of non-service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder and major depressive disorder, finding that the evidence does not support a diagnosis of PTSD or establish a link between current psychiatric conditions and military service.