PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for COPD, eye conditions, and PTSD due to a lack of adequate medical opinions. The Veteran is required to cooperate by attending any future VA examinations or communicating with VA as to why he cannot attend.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent from April 5, 2016, and a TDIU is granted from June 30, 2017.

The Veteran's motion to revise a November 2021 decision of the Board on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) was dismissed without prejudice to refiling due to insufficient specificity in his allegations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection, but a higher rating is denied.,Effective dates for the awards of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not earlier than February 24, 2018.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, is dismissed as the full benefit sought has already been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip arthritis, but denied service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, and unspecified neurocognitive disorder).

The Veteran seeks earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for his left ankle and psychiatric disorders. The Board finds that there is no persuasive evidence to support these claims.,The Veteran's current effective date for the grants of service connection for his left ankle and psychiatric disorders stems from an intent to file he submitted to VA in September 2018.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board must identify and obtain any outstanding SSA records that are not already associated with the record.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation based on housebound status because he did not meet the criteria at any point prior to September 19, 2018.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, agoraphobia, and panic disorder with anxiety disorder have rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment since October 1, 2014. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD with major depressive disorder was withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of this issue.,Claims for increased ratings for skin cancer on various upper extremities and face/neck were denied. The reduction in disability rating for hypertension from 10% to 0% was found improper, and the previous rating is restored.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 30, 2022, for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder as secondary to a service-connected disability was granted. However, the claim for PTSD was denied due to lack of credible supporting evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and therefore his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to a TDIU prior to July 21, 2016 and SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) due to conflicting evidence regarding the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 22, 2014, due to insufficient evidence showing he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as a result of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic low back pain and PTSD were denied as the effective dates requested could not be earlier than March 12, 2009.,No new evidence was submitted to reopen the previously denied claims.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The heart disorder claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI), an acquired psychiatric disorder, headaches, and tinnitus. The TBI claim was denied as the Veteran's preexisting condition did not worsen during service.,Service connection for PTSD and major depression were also denied due to lack of evidence showing these conditions are related to service.