PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining missing VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination for PTSD. The issues of increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are inextricably intertwined.

A 70 percent rating for PTSD is granted effective May 31, 2018.,The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits are also granted effective May 31, 2018.

The Veteran's PTSD with TBI and headaches are rated at the maximum allowed, but his tinea pedis is not compensable. The Board found that he has right arm disability of nerve damage/muscle atrophy, vein damage, and injury (previously claimed as scars, status post brachial artery repair), a right shoulder disability, and right-hand arthritis due to willful misconduct.

The appeal of the claim for service connection for a back disability has been dismissed. The case is remanded for further action on the PTSD issue.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, subsyndromal posttraumatic stress was granted an initial disability rating of 50 percent from October 21, 2019 to December 8, 2021. The appeal is resolved in the Veteran's favor.

The Board has dismissed the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities as it is no longer part of the legacy system and has been addressed in the modernized review system.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board denied an initial rating in excess of 50 percent. From December 13, 2012 to March 1, 2015, the Veteran was granted a TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied because there is no diagnosis of PTSD under DSM-5 criteria.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a clarification of his mental health diagnosis or diagnoses.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hearing loss and PTSD, as there is insufficient evidence or further development is needed.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected, with no specific exposure basis provided and no rating assigned.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened, and the Board has ordered a remand to obtain authorization for VA outpatient treatment records from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans and to schedule a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or contributed to his death, including from acute combined drug and ethanol toxicity.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have worsened since the last VA examination, and a new examination is needed to determine the current severity of the disability. The issue of TDIU rating must be held in abeyance as it is intrinsically intertwined with the PTSD remand.

The Veteran's PTSD with panic disorder and major depressive disorder is currently rated at 70 percent, but the Board denied a higher rating as her symptoms did not meet the criteria for total occupational and social impairment.,A temporary total rating of 100 percent was granted from June 17, 2008 to September 30, 2008 due to hospitalization.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a higher initial rating for bronchial asthma, and issues regarding earlier effective dates and combined ratings. The Veteran is advised to submit additional evidence and attend further examinations as needed.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU is remanded due to incomplete information regarding his employment and income, particularly from the years 2010-2012. The VA needs to provide a form for him to report this information and request tax return transcripts.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is etiologically related to his service-connected PTSD, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. As a result, the claim for secondary service connection for erectile dysfunction is granted.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from March 16, 2011 to March 27, 2012 due to his service-connected disabilities. Prior to that date, the evidence did not meet the criteria for schedular TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD because there is no current diagnosis of PTSD that meets regulatory guidelines, and thus the threshold requirement for service connection was not met.