PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions aggravated his headaches.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of June 15, 2006 for a rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and a TDIU rating. The decision is based on the severity levels of the Veteran's psychiatric symptomatology and its impact on his ability to secure employment.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his PTSD is remanded due to the need for a contemporaneous VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and schizophrenia, finding no current diagnosis of PTSD and noting that the Veteran's schizophrenia is not related to his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disorder, and bilateral hand disorders due to new evidence submitted after the September 2020 rating decision. The claims are remanded for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is being remanded due to new and relevant evidence.,An increased rating of 100 percent from September 7, 2017 for PTSD has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, PTSD, small artery aneurysm of the left brachial artery, and left median neuropathy were denied. The evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.,Specifically, the medical records showed that the Veteran had well-controlled DM with no need for insulin or dietary restrictions, which precluded a higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70 percent rating, but no higher. His service-connected hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his military service and his current psychiatric symptoms.

The Veteran's PTSD with cannabis use disorder and hearing loss are both being remanded for further evaluation as their current severity is unclear from the existing records.

The Veteran's previously denied claim of service connection for anxiety is reconsidered and granted. Service connection for PTSD is also granted. The claims for initial evaluations for hip and knee conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as PTSD, has been manifested by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to recurrent nightmares, anxiety, hypervigilance, depression, disturbances of mood and motivation and social isolation. The severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms did not more closely approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 100% since February 25, 2011, due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for PTSD due to a potential jurisdictional defect, and the Veteran is given 60 days to submit additional evidence or request a hearing.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records. A new VA medical examination is needed to clarify the Veteran's DSM-5 diagnoses and consider service connection issues.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is now rated at the highest possible disability rating of 100 percent, reflecting total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete verification of in-service stressors and insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the acquired psychiatric disorder. The diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and upper extremities are also being remanded as they may be related to herbicide exposure.

All claims for service connection and increased ratings have been withdrawn by the Veteran.,The Veteran's hepatitis A has not met the criteria for a higher than 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's current PTSD and MDD are found to have been caused by his active service, leading to a grant of service connection.

The Board has remanded four issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities: PTSD, low back strain with degenerative changes, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and recurrent right ankle sprain. The remand requires VA to obtain treatment records from the Taylor Street Vet Center in Washington, D.C., and to schedule the Veteran for examinations by appropriate clinicians to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.