PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that the Veteran was unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities from February 13, 2017 to January 29, 2018. The decision is based on the evidence showing that these conditions prevented him from performing physically demanding jobs.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The Board finds that the evidence is evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's other conditions are related to service, and thus grants them based on this finding.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, coronary artery disease, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

Your appeal for service connection of a psychiatric disability, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD, has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to proceed with this matter.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD, and this claim is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to procedural defects in the submission of appeal forms.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, Parkinson's disease, and PTSD have all been denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other factors that would support service connection.,There was no credible supporting evidence found to corroborate the Veteran's claimed service in Vietnam, including his alleged combat service and destruction of an orphanage.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating of 70 percent or total disability due to mental disorders is not warranted based on his symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a scar on the left lower extremity as a residual of a tibial/shin laceration is granted. The claims for lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and skin disabilities are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to address the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder, left knee disability, and their combined impact on his employability prior to October 4, 2018.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not indicate total occupational and social impairment, but rather intermittent occupational and social impairment warranting a 50% rating. Service connection claims for bilateral knee, rib, neck, and sciatic nerve disabilities were remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board has found the VA examiner's opinion inadequate and requires an addendum to address whether OSA is proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of PTSD was granted with an effective date of March 17, 2020. The Board found that the earlier date is appropriate as there were two VA Form 21-22's in the claims file received on this date.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for PTSD due to potential errors in obtaining relevant service records and stressor verification. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to secure any in-service mental health treatment records, as well as verify the claimed in-service stressors.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted effective August 17, 2017. The Board found that the earliest date of receipt of a claim is the effective date.

Service connection for PTSD and IBS as secondary to PTSD is granted, with an effective date of July 24, 2020. The Veteran's earlier effective dates for other conditions are also granted.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar and thoracic strain under the AMA is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU and DEA benefits was denied as the evidence did not show a permanent and total service-connected disability prior to February 18, 2020.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of PTSD, and the Board has dismissed the claim.