PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's tinnitus and PTSD have been granted service connection, with the PTSD receiving an initial disability rating of 70 percent from August 28, 2018 to December 29, 2022.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for OSA, finding that a VA medical examination and opinion are necessary to comprehensively evaluate his claim. The issues include determining if OSA is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and hypertension.

The Board has granted an initial 100 percent rating for PTSD prior to March 19, 2015. The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding service connection for hyperacusis and SMC based on the need for aid and attendance of another person.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for PTSD is denied, and the issue of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient development and examination. The issues include a lower back and hip disability, as well as a psychiatric disorder including bipolar, PTSD, and insomnia.

The Veteran's claims for compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis and hemorrhoids, as well as service connection for left and right knee conditions, have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of joint pain and abdominal pain are remanded due to the need for VA examinations and opinions regarding toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune. The effective date claim is denied as August 7, 2013, is the earliest date that VA received a communication from the Veteran indicating intent to apply for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence to verify the Veteran's claimed stressors, specifically his deployment to Vietnam and combat involvement. The VA needs to attempt to corroborate these stressors before a final decision can be made on the service connection claim for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for his service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous examination.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA examination for the Veteran's PTSD claim, as the July 2018 VA examiner did not provide sufficient rationale and considered all relevant evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal as to his claims for service connection and TDIU due to a lack of timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) filed within one year of the August 17, 2015 rating decision.

The Veteran's PTSD was found to cause occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent rating prior to March 19, 2019. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD prior to April 20, 2015 is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) prior to April 20, 2015 is also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected PTSD, finding that there is at least approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding this claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current disability related to active-duty service and affirms the grant of service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's claim for service connection for Sleep Apnea is remanded due to lack of an opinion on its etiology.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD with depressive and alcohol use disorders was denied. However, the Veteran's service connection claim for a secondary alcohol use disorder to his PTSD was granted.

The Veteran's service connection for Burkitt's Lymphoma has been granted, effective from the date of his original claim on May 23, 2015.,Service connection for PTSD was initially granted in October 2015 with an effective date of May 5, 2015. The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date due to having experienced symptoms since 1991.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is reopened, and the Board has remanded several issues including service connection for various psychiatric disorders, upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathies, TBI residuals, and migraine headaches. The claims are also remanded to determine the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and MDD, has been granted. The appeal regarding the left foot condition is being remanded due to new evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied due to failure to report for VA examinations.,Service connection for PTSD was denied as the Veteran did not provide a diagnosis of PTSD under DSM criteria.