PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has ordered further development to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and MDD, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing condition was aggravated by his military service. Service connection for sleep apnea is also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches and PTSD, but the TDIU appeal is still pending as new evidence was added to the file after the January 12, 2021 supplemental statement of the case. The claim will be remanded for further review.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been rated at a 70 percent disability rating since July 9, 2013. The RO has granted an initial 50 percent rating for the period prior to March 15, 2018 and a 70 percent rating thereafter.

The Veteran's appeal for a retroactive payment higher than the amount issued with the April 2017 rating decision is denied. The effective date of his increased PTSD disability rating from April 13, 1968 to April 25, 2008 was not changed due to lack of notification of dependents within one year.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied, and his claim for esophageal varices is granted. The case is remanded for a VA examination to address the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal regarding an effective date prior to April 9, 2009, for PTSD service connection due to his opting into the modernized appeals system (AMA).

The Veteran's service-connected erectile dysfunction is granted, but his bilateral hearing loss and PTSD are denied. The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 10 percent rating prior to December 1, 2014, and a 30 percent rating thereafter. A TDIU was granted prior to August 27, 2014.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, and the issues of special monthly compensation based on housebound status or need for regular aid and attendance were also denied. The case is remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional medical records and evaluations.

Right ear hearing loss has been granted service connection.,Prostate cancer residuals have a current rating of 20% and are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected PTSD, finding that there was no causal relationship between the two conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting opinions on whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. A new opinion from a sleep medicine specialist is needed.

The Veteran's PTSD, lumbar spine (back) disability, right elbow disability, and left ankle disability have been granted service connection. The initial rating for PTSD has been increased to 70 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% prior to January 28, 2020 and the claim for increased rating beyond that date is denied. The issues of service connection for lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder (secondary to PTSD), and OSA are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer and PTSD with secondary persistent depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise regarding his ability to work due to these conditions.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for IHD due to the Veteran's death during the appeal process.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD as due to military sexual trauma (MST), finding that the Veteran's current disability is related to an in-service stressor involving a personal assault.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability, an initial rating greater than 70 percent for PTSD, and an increased rating greater than 10 percent for residuals of fragment wound to the left thigh. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD with insomnia, depression, and anxiety is granted. The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder and basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and seborrheic keratosis.