PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to grant a 50 percent rating for PTSD, but the claim is being remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent prior to January 11, 2019, and at 70 percent from January 11, 2019. The Board has remanded the case for further development.

The Veteran withdrew all his remaining appeal issues, including service connection for bipolar disorder and ratings for PTSD, lumbar spine disability, bronchial asthma, and left hip disability. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claim for an updated VA examination to determine if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and hypothyroidism. The examiner must consider various medical articles discussing associations between OSA and psychiatric conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and remanded the issues of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD; a back disability; and a rating in excess of 10 percent for a right patellar thickness tear.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder and PTSD, is granted service connection. The rating for bilateral hearing loss remains at 20 percent from December 8, 2021.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and need for a new VA psychiatric examination. The Veteran's current diagnosis is Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood, which may be related to service exposure but not PTSD.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to higher ratings for various service-connected conditions, including coronary artery disease and peripheral neuropathy. The Veteran's appeal is not about service connection but rather about the appropriate disability rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in the loss of use of both lower extremities, requiring him to use a wheelchair and motorized scooter for locomotion. The Board granted financial assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing due to his permanent and total disability.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a 100% disability rating throughout the appeal period, and his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are etiologically linked to his in-service stressor.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not begin during service or are otherwise related to active-duty service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD is remanded due to the need for a more current examination and contemporaneous treatment records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's OSA was aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. The VA needs to obtain an addendum opinion addressing this issue.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting diagnoses regarding PTSD and for an addendum opinion on whether his neuropathies are related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents while in Vietnam.

The Veteran's PTSD and migraine headaches have resulted in a denial of an evaluation in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, but the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions rendered him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, but he did not meet the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate. The appeal is moot due to the grant of SMC based on need for aid and attendance.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to July 2, 2018 due to the grant of a TDIU during the entire appellate period, effective December 1, 2014.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date prior to November 2, 2015 for the grant of service connection for a TBI has been withdrawn. The cases related to rating and disability evaluation for residuals of TBI are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizoaffective disorder, has been denied as the Veteran failed to report for a scheduled VA examination without providing good cause.