PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting diagnoses and the need for a VA opinion on direct service connection, as well as verification of claimed stressors involving in-service fighter jet crashes.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for both the hearing loss and psychiatric disorder claims, as new examinations are required to determine if there is a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's appeal of the denial of a compensable rating for residual scarring and HPV infection has been withdrawn.,The claim for an evaluation greater than 10 percent prior to January 29, 2021, for PTSD is remanded due to insufficient evidence of occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective July 26, 2004, based on his service-connected PTSD. The Board found that the claim reasonably raised the question of entitlement to a TDIU and determined that the correct effective date should be July 26, 2004.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was restored to a 60 percent evaluation, effective January 1, 2019. Service connection for PTSD and other conditions were denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions contributed substantially or materially to his death. The claim is being returned for a VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD prevents him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, leading to a grant of Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) effective the day after his last day working in February 2019.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of PTSD was denied, and his service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD was granted. The Veteran also received SMC based on housebound status.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as it is found to be related to his service, specifically the stressor event he experienced during his deployment in Iran.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for PTSD, anxiety, and MDD (now psychiatric disorder), and for a head injury/TBI. The cases are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is denied as there is no current diagnosis of such a condition.,Service connection for OSA is also denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to active duty service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent prior to November 15, 2018. The Board denied a higher rating and granted an effective date of November 15, 2018 for the award of a 70 percent rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, previously listed as anxiety, is reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The case is remanded for further evaluation and a nexus opinion from an appropriate clinician.

The Veteran's PTSD and TDIU claims are being remanded for further evaluation. The increased rating for PTSD requires a new VA examination, while the TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with the PTSD issue.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining service personnel records, treatment records, verification of stressors, and examinations to determine if current disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder with depression has resulted in total occupational and social impairment throughout the period on appeal, warranting a 100 percent disability rating.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for increased ratings and service connection for various disabilities during a Board hearing in June 2022.,The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 70 percent disabling prior to February 1, 2021, and 30 percent thereafter.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, and right foot and left foot disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing a current diagnosis or relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for OSA secondary to his service-connected PTSD, depressive disorder, and TBI is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD service connection was denied. The rating for PTSD from September 18, 2015 to the present is also denied.,A TDIU due to service-connected PTSD is granted as of September 18, 2015.