PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's PTSD was previously granted a 50% rating, but the Board denied an increased rating to higher than 70%. The hearing loss claim remains pending as it is rated at 0%, and no effective date adjustment was made for ischemic heart disease.,For the right knee condition, the Veteran has been granted a 10% rating. However, his claim for a higher rating remains on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining the curriculum vitae of the VA examiners and providing the Veteran with his own copy of the claims file.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted an initial rating of 70 percent prior to July 19, 2018 and a higher rating thereafter. The appeal for a TDIU is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD was aggravated by his exposure to burn pits during military service.

The Veteran's PTSD with insomnia disorder was granted a 50 percent rating prior to September 5, 2017. However, the claim for an increased rating after that date was denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to procedural issues and the need for a completed VA Form 21-8940 application on behalf of the Veteran. The rating for PTSD prior to March 23, 2015 was not properly implemented.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as the evidence does not show he was unemployable at the time of the January 2020 rating decision.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher evaluation of PTSD and TDIU were dismissed. Service connection for hypothyroidism was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to multi-substance intoxication, finding that it was a result of medication taken for treatment of service-connected disabilities and not willful misconduct.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors occurred, and his accounts of events are not substantiated.

The appeal of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is dismissed. The claim for hypertension was denied in June 2011 and the application to reopen it is denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional information regarding the Veteran's service connection for PTSD, including verification of any disciplinary actions and SSA disability benefits records.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for PTSD remains pending, and the Board has found that his disability picture warrants at least a 70 percent rating from December 23, 2010. The case is remanded to obtain updated treatment records and to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's PTSD, specifically whether it warrants a 100 percent rating for total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder (claimed as panic disorder), due to inadequate examination in December 2019. The Veteran's mental health diagnoses include PTSD, agoraphobia, and a panic disorder.

The petition to reopen the claim for service connection of a skin condition is granted. The initial rating for PTSD is granted at 70 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressed mood is rated at a minimum of 70 percent, and he is granted TDIU. The case is remanded to determine if the Veteran should be assigned a higher rating for his PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 50 percent prior to May 11, 2011. The Board found that his symptoms were more closely aligned with a 50 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with obesity being an intermediate step. The decision grants service connection for OSA on a secondary basis.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for right and left ear hearing loss, as well as for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD), but denied these claims. The claim for service connection for acoustic neuroma is also remanded due to new evidence of in-service noise exposure.