PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective March 6, 2014. Service connection for CFS and fibromyalgia are granted. The Veteran's frequent urination claim was not before the AOJ nor reasonably raised in the record. Ratings for low back disorder and HS remain remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is remanded due to a duty to assist error and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss (BHL), and PTSD has been denied. The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.,The Veteran’s service-connected disabilities have not resulted in the maximum schedular evaluations available.

The Veteran's PTSD has not produced total occupational and social impairment, but it has caused occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks. The Board denied a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in pre-decisional duty to assist and a need for verification of the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor. The Veteran is entitled to service connection for PTSD, but further development is needed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and for an adequate VA examination regarding the severity of the Veteran's PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his service-connected conditions, particularly PTSD and frostbite residuals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, as well as a right knee disability. The evidence did not support the Veteran's assertions that his current conditions were related to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that the evidence did not show he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The appeal for PTSD is dismissed. The appeals for low back disability, spina bifida, and neurological disorder of the left lower extremity are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's left foot disability is granted service connection. Service connection for PTSD, acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD), and stimulant use disorder are denied.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral lower extremity dermatitis are granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD and TBI, respectively. The effective date for the award of service connection for tinnitus is set at December 28, 2011.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to military sexual trauma (MST). The preponderance of evidence establishes that the Veteran's PTSD is due to an in-service personal assault.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to issues related to increased rating for an acquired psychiatric disorder and TDIU.

Service connection for PTSD and chondromalacia of the patella of the left knee has been granted.,The Veteran's left hip disorder remains under review.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for seborrheic dermatitis and psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. The case is remanded to obtain additional evidence regarding radiation exposure during service and to schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's TDIU is granted based on his service-connected PTSD, and the claim for SMC at the statutory housebound rate is also granted.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and earlier effective dates was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of total occupational and social impairment, which would warrant a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD with panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder is currently rated at 50 percent disabling. The appeal for a higher disability evaluation remains before the Board. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has dismissed all pending appeals due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his claims.