PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a traumatic brain injury is dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues of rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral plantar fasciitis due to insufficient evidence and missing VA treatment records.

The Veteran's bilateral calcaneal spurs and PTSD were denied, while the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (adjustment disorder, mood disorder, and anxiety disorder) and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was remanded.,Service connection for bilateral calcaneal spurs and PTSD were not granted due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome are pending further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic upper respiratory infection, acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety and PTSD), degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, and cervical spine condition secondary to low back injury due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have worsened and improved over the last few years. The Board has ordered a new examination to assess his current PTSD severity, as well as further development of his employment information for TDIU claim.

The Veteran's depressive disorder, anxiety disorder with agoraphobia, and PTSD have resulted in a 70 percent disability rating for depression from October 7, 2009. The decision also granted TDIU effective October 7, 2009.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and PTSD, including owing to MST, need further development before they can be decided.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent prior to November 26, 2019 and at 50 percent thereafter. The Board has remanded the case for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for Total Disability Evaluation Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities. Additional development is needed, including obtaining military personnel records, SSA disability claim information, and Veteran Readiness and Employment Service benefits records.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to April 27, 2015 was denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim filed prior to that date and it was not factually ascertainable that an increase in disability occurred within the one-year period preceding the date of claim.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and lumbosacral strain have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU effective May 11, 2018. The rating for his lumbar strain remains at 20 percent.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar affective disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, stimulant use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and substance-induced depressive disorder with anxious distress. The issue of dental condition was dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a cardiovascular disability (claimed as heart disease) have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has denied a higher rating. The Veteran also sought TDIU but was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, to include PTSD, and TDIU are remanded due to incomplete records and conflicting medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is related to fear of hostile military activity during his service in Grenada and Beirut.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, lumbar spine disorder, and radiculopathy do not meet the criteria for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has determined that the remand is necessary due to inadequate opinions provided by the VA examiner regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically his social and occupational functioning.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD does not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, as he is currently employed and his other service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from working.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, and anxiety disorder, as well as his claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The VA is required to obtain updated treatment records, verify the in-service stressor, and provide a new examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders and OSA.