PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2023

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the claim for service connection for PTSD before a decision was made.

The Veteran's claim for Individual Unemployability was granted effective August 21, 2017. Her PTSD rating was increased to 70% from that date.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including anxiety and PTSD, GERD, hypothyroidism, joint pain, a low back condition, and neck sprain are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The VA will seek verification of the Veteran's in-service stressor events.

Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine is granted. A rating of 30 percent for headaches, effective as of August 28, 2018, is also granted. The claim for a higher rating for PTSD remains denied.

The Veteran's proposed reductions in ratings for posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia, major depressive disorder, and primary insomnia (psychiatric disorder) from 70 percent to 50 percent, and traumatic brain injury from 40 percent to noncompensable were dismissed as the January 2020 rating decision was a proposed action.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to May 16, 2012 for the grant of SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(1) based on the need for aid and attendance is dismissed. An initial 60 percent rating for seborrheic dermatitis is granted. A rating in excess of 50 percent for migraines is denied.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence for readjudicating the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claim is remanded due to incomplete service records and a need for VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error regarding verification of an in-service stressor involving the death of a parachutist at Fort Bragg in approximately the fall of 1996. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, will be reconsidered based on all evidence of record.

The Board has vacated the July 2023 decision and remanded the issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's appeal is being addressed due to a duty to assist error in obtaining a VA examination regarding his PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected due to aggravation during service. A 10 percent rating for her scar from ovarian cyst laparoscopies is also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as being caused by the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right and left knee disorders, lumbar spine disorder, asthma, and fibromyalgia, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. His TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with corroboration of in-service stressors and establishment of a causal relationship between current psychiatric disorders and service. The Veteran's claims for PTSD, unspecified trauma disorder, depression, and insomnia are being reviewed again.

The Veteran's service connection claim for chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis is granted.,Other claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claim for a supplemental VA medical opinion to determine if any current psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and/or unspecified depressive disorder, is related to the Veteran's in-service stressor involving a fire on the USS Ranger.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include ingrown toenails, post-surgical bunions of the feet, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, and anxiety).

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is granted, but her claim for an increased disability rating for PTSD with traumatic brain injury is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased PTSD rating and TDIU are being remanded due to the addition of new evidence. The AOJ will review this evidence in the first instance.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities make him so helpless that he requires personal assistance from others, and the Board has granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's PTSD rating is being remanded to determine the increase in severity of his condition during the claim period and if there was a distinct period of worsening. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is part of the increased evaluation appeal.