PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD was denied increased ratings in excess of 50% from February 19, 2018 to January 4, 2021 and from January 4, 2021. A TDIU was granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 50% rating, effective from the date of his increased rating claim. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss remains at a 40% rating.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with MDD and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy rendered him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance, leading to the grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to verified in-service stressors and service connection for PTSD has been granted. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current anal fissure or residuals thereof.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent from January 29, 2013 to April 8, 2017 and then increased to 70 percent thereafter. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet criteria for a higher rating during this period.

The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to April 8, 2014. The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to October 27, 2020 did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent.,Since October 27, 2020, the Veteran's PTSD symptoms have not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 70 percent.

The Board has determined that the AOJ's decision to retroactively discontinue TDIU benefits from March 1, 2005 was not supported by evidence and requires further review.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and entitlement to a TDIU. The remand includes requests for employment information, an examination by an appropriate clinician, and further determinations regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's mood disorder and PTSD were granted a 100% rating effective from March 10, 1988. Prior to this date, the disability was rated at 50%. The decision is based on evidence of severe psychiatric symptoms that rendered the Veteran unable to secure or maintain employment.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to insufficient evidence of unemployability by reason of his service-connected PTSD. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for an addendum opinion regarding the onset and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities, including whether they are related to service.

Service connection for a low back disability, to include spinal stenosis is granted. An increased rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus with hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis are denied. The Veteran's GERD is rated at 60 percent.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, specifically obtaining medical records from the Elkton Vet Center.

The Veteran's service connection claims for psychiatric disorders, lumbar spine disorder, hypertension, GERD, and hemorrhoids have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a secondary relationship between his sleep apnea and his service-connected conditions or in-service exposures. The preponderance of the evidence did not support the claim.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and bipolar disorder was granted. The claim for PTSD was denied as new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Board found that there is current diagnoses of an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (bipolar disorder) and remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and back disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records from May 2018 to the present. The claims of a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and TDIU are also being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70% disability rating prior to February 6, 2018. A TDIU claim was also granted.

The Veteran's death pension benefits claim was denied due to lack of active military service for pension purposes. The cause of death remanded for a medical opinion on whether PTSD contributed to the cause of death.