PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, and TDIU due to issues with compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has remanded three issues: service connection for syncope, increased disability evaluation for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and PTSD, and TDIU. The Veteran's medical records need to be updated, and additional opinions are requested regarding the nature and etiology of her syncope and the severity of her psychiatric condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development and readjudication due to inconsistencies in previous decisions. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and/or depression, is being reviewed with additional VA clinical records from 1981 to 2007. Service connection for left hand neuropathy secondary to a service-connected left shoulder disability will also be remanded.

The Veteran's hearing loss in the left ear, tinnitus, and unspecified trauma- and stressor-related disorder are all granted as service-connected. The PTSD is not granted.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher disability rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder and for TDIU have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, with a combined evaluation of 60 percent for his right lower extremity and PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70 percent rating, but no higher. Service connection for right shoulder disability, lumbosacral spine disability, and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD and for residuals of a traumatic brain injury, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain gainful employment prior to November 4, 2017.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability has rendered him unable to obtain and/or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board grants TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy were denied effective dates prior to February 9, 2011.,Increased disability ratings for left and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy are also denied.,The Veteran's entitlement to SMC based on housebound status is denied as he does not meet the criteria.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination and the addition of VA treatment records.

The Veteran's initial ratings for sural mononeuropathy of the right and left lower extremities are denied, but he is granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD with major depressive disorder prior to November 9, 2018 was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for PTSD and TBI residuals from November 9, 2018 was also denied.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for PTSD with depressive disorder is denied as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD, and therefore, his claim for PTSD failed to establish service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD and residuals of cancer of the larynx are rated at 70% and 30%, respectively, with a granted effective date of October 27, 2020. The Veteran is granted TDIU from April 1, 2014 to present.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The Veteran's service treatment records show multiple psychological complaints, but a definitive link between these conditions and his current diagnoses is needed.

Your appeal for an increased evaluation for PTSD has been dismissed as you have withdrawn your appeal.

An initial 50 percent rating for PTSD is granted effective March 11, 2019. A higher rating in excess of 50 percent is denied.