PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for PTSD due to additional development and research, as the Veteran claims he was present during special operations missions in Vietnam and Cambodia as a Russian language interpreter.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder due to new and material evidence. The acquired psychiatric condition is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is granted. For the entire period on appeal, entitlement to an initial disability rating of 100 percent for PTSD is granted. Beginning June 29, 2016, entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate is granted. The issues of service connection for joint pain, neurological symptoms, and left knee strain are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, adenocarcinoma of the cecum (claimed as colon cancer), tinnitus, gastric ulcer, cold injury residuals, and PTSD. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, a chronic respiratory disorder, and bilateral hearing loss are all granted. The Veteran was diagnosed with PTSD during service and the evidence supports that it is related to in-service stressors. Service connection is also granted for his acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD. However, service connection cannot be established without a VA examination or supporting medical evidence for his chronic respiratory disorder and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted service connection. The appeals for right knee, left elbow, and right elbow conditions were dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70 percent disability rating for the entire appeal period, and entitlement to TDIU on a schedular basis prior to May 16, 2016, is also granted. SMC at the housebound rate is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased PTSD disability rating and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical evaluation and consideration of his symptoms.

The Board dismissed the appeals as both conditions were related to the Veteran's death and no one is eligible for substitution in his place.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical examination, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if any acquired psychiatric disorder had its onset in service or is otherwise etiologically related to the Veteran's period of active service.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, but no higher, since the effective date of service connection for the disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened, and the case is remanded for further development. The case for an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD) and sleep apnea are also remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD was granted a 100% disability rating effective January 9, 2018. Prior to that date, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, specifically unspecified depressive disorder, is granted service connection. However, his claim for PTSD is denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has remanded multiple issues for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for examinations to assess the current severity of various service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's claims are not about service connection via a presumption like PACT Act/Agent Orange/Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition and headaches due to unclear diagnoses, outstanding private treatment records, and need for medical opinions on etiology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to July 2, 2016, finding that he was not working full-time and therefore did not meet the criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but a higher rating of 70 percent has been granted from July 21, 2016 to January 3, 2020. From January 3, 2020, the Veteran's PTSD does not meet the criteria for a higher than 70 percent rating. The duodenal ulcer is rated at 10 percent and an earlier effective date has been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to July 18, 2017, finding that there was no evidence showing he was unable to work within one year before his PTSD increased in severity.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the failure of VA to obtain his OWCP records as directed in a previous remand.