PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's reported treatment history and need for additional evidence, including clinical records from a therapist who treated him since 1988. The claim will be further developed to determine if there is sufficient corroborating evidence of the claimed stressor.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD has been granted.,Service connection is also granted for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral cervical radiculopathy of the upper extremities, secondary to degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent disabling, effective from April 4, 2019. The Board has granted a higher evaluation of 100 percent for the period prior to April 4, 2019.,The Veteran was also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to April 4, 2019.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is granted. The Board has also remanded the issue of whether he can establish service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, primarily PTSD and MDD, prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment from May 17, 2018 to January 16, 2019. The Board has granted a TDIU for this period but the issue of whether the September 2010 rating decision denying service connection for cervical spine disability should be revised or reversed on grounds of CUE is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent, and he is granted a TDIU. The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD since February 9, 2018, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or maintain any substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 70 percent disabling, effective from November 8, 2013. The rating was granted based on the severity of symptoms and occupational/social impairment.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is granted, as his diagnosis of PTSD was linked to an in-service stressor related to a rescue and recovery mission during the Vietnam War.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is granted. The claim for service connection for chronic myeloid leukemia is remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for PTSD due to service-connected PTSD is granted. The obstructive sleep apnea claim, which was secondary to PTSD, is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD with persistent depressive disorder resulted in total occupational and social impairment since July 1, 2017. The Board granted a 100 percent rating for this condition effective from that date.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining records from McDonnell Douglas Electronics Corporation and attempting to verify the Veteran's participation in covert missions in Southeast Asia. The claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) and diabetes mellitus, Type II, are still pending.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a rating of no more than 50 percent prior to June 30, 2016. A higher rating is denied for the period before April 4, 2022.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinion provided is inadequate for the secondary service connection claim and requires further clarification. The Veteran's sleep apnea may be related to his service-connected PTSD or aggravated by it, but this needs to be clarified with a new opinion. Obesity caused by service-connected disabilities could also play a role in causing the sleep apnea.

The Veteran's PTSD and tinnitus resulted in a combined rating of 60 percent from April 13, 2014 to June 3, 2021. The Board granted TDIU for this period due to the functional impairment associated with his service-connected disabilities.