PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 70% for his acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) is denied. The appeal for TDIU from September 10, 2017 to September 9, 2018 is also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including her acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee disability, and back disability, have rendered her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from April 19, 2010, to May 3, 2020. The Board has granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis for this period.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining verification of a recruit suicide and counseling records. The appellant is also to be scheduled for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any currently diagnosed psychiatric disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of the Appellant's theory that PTSD caused her husband's death by causing him to lose his will to live and not eat properly, leading to dehydration and renal failure.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and need for further development regarding stressor events in service, psychiatric disability etiology, and evaluation of existing evidence. The Veteran's claims for PTSD and depression are being considered under direct service connection theory.

The Veteran was granted service connection for PTSD with an effective date of October 22, 2014. The Board found that the claim should have been considered as early as September 7, 2012 and granted a retroactive effective date based on the Veteran's testimony and supporting documents.

The Veteran's PTSD with PDD, formerly characterized as GAD, is rated at 70 percent and denied for an increased rating. TDIU was granted from December 1, 2014.

The Board has granted a 100% rating for PTSD with schizoaffective disorder effective from May 27, 2018, based on clear and unmistakable error in the June 2020 decision.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s symptoms, while significant, did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the Board finds that his conditions do not warrant higher ratings for PTSD, lumbar spine DDD, sciatic nerve radiculopathy, knee DJD, shoulder DJD, ankle DJD, elbow tendonitis, or foot plantar fasciitis.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his left knee disability and any acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder are not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of in-service personal assault stressors and a need for a new VA examination. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is still under consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD rating is greater than the rate payable for nonservice-connection pension, making the claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits moot and dismissed.

The Veteran's back disorder is remanded for a new VA examination to determine if it is related to his in-service slip and fall injury.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, is remanded for an addendum opinion addressing whether it is secondary to the service-connected back disorder or tinnitus.,The Veteran's headaches are remanded for a VA examination to determine if they are related to his in-service complaints of head pain and/or service-connected tinnitus.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded for an addendum opinion on whether it is secondary to his acquired psychiatric disorder and/or back disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD was rated at 50 percent from February 7, 2012, through May 4, 2014, and at 70 percent since May 5, 2014.,The Veteran's DDD of the thoracic spine was rated at 10 percent from February 7, 2012, through May 4, 2014, and at 20 percent since May 5, 2014. The Board found that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD. As the only issue on appeal is now resolved, the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% and denied a higher rating.,There is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, thus service connection is denied.,Bilateral pes planus was found to have existed prior to service and not aggravated by service. Service connection is also denied.

The Veteran's right upper extremity cervical radiculopathy is granted as secondary to her service-connected cervical spine disability. A 40 percent rating for her lumbar spine disability is granted, effective from February 27, 2015. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since the entire rating period on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU rating. The cervical spine disability appeal is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the cases due to failure of the Veteran to appear for VA examinations related to his coronary artery disease and posttraumatic stress disorder. The examinations are to be rescheduled.