PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a medical opinion regarding the Appellant's mental state at the time of his discharge. The issue is whether the character of his discharge constitutes a bar to VA benefits, with an additional inquiry into whether he was 'insane' as defined by VA regulations.

The Veteran's PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity have been rated, but his TDIU has been granted from December 12, 2018. The Board finds that more evidence is needed to determine if higher ratings are warranted for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA opinions regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is related to service or a service-connected condition. The Veteran will be scheduled for a VA psychiatric examination to determine the etiology of his psychiatric disorder, including on a secondary basis.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, hiatal hernia, and HTN. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for direct service connection as there was no in-service diagnosis or treatment of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the issue of entitlement to a TDIU is moot as the Veteran's combined disability rating does not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD and Depressive Disorder, finding that the evidence does not support a diagnosis of these conditions based on in-service stressors. The Veteran's claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's headaches disability is rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to her symptoms not meeting the definition of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability. Her PTSD disability remains rated at 70 percent from February 1, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, MDD, and GAD, is denied as there is no verified in-service stressor to support the diagnosis of PTSD. The evidence does not indicate any other in-service event that caused a psychiatric disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to a lack of current disability evidence.

The Veteran is granted a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD prior to July 2, 2018. He was also granted TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD and the combined effect of other disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions from previous VA examiners regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to service, especially as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for a rating of 50 percent, but no higher, for depression with PTSD has been granted. The issues of service connection for connective tissue disease, lupus erythematosus, peripheral neuropathy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and loss of vision in the right eye have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examinations and evaluations due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's conditions, particularly in relation to their service connection.

The Veteran's athlete's foot is remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (likely PTSD) is remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's migraines, to include as secondary to tinnitus, are remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's hearing loss is remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's back pain is remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's pain and limited use of the jaw is remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's eye pain and scars status post surgical repair are remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's plates in the entire face status post facial surgeries are remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's scars of the face and head are remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's type I diabetes is remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the receipt of additional VA treatment and examination records that have not been reviewed by the Agency of Original Jurisdiction.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD, and sleep apnea has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. However, his claims are denied as there is no persuasive medical evidence or credible lay evidence that any of these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.,The Veteran's claim for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) and sleep apnea secondary to PTSD has been remanded for further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal requires additional development for his claims of PTSD, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and TDIU. The AOJ is instructed to obtain updated VA medical records, provide an addendum retrospective medical opinion regarding PTSD severity from September 26, 2013 to March 13, 2015, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is related to PTSD, and consider all additional evidence since the September 2020 supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression has been rated at a minimum of 70 percent since February 15, 2018.,A TDIU rating for PTSD with depression is granted effective from February 15, 2018. The Veteran also received SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) effective July 30, 2020.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a disability rating of 70 percent from August 12, 2012 to November 7, 2019. The appeal for higher ratings prior to and after this period is denied.