PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is causally related to an in-service personal assault (the 1987 Abduction).

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected.,An initial rating of 10 percent for right knee joint osteoarthritis and a separate 10 percent rating based on removal of semilunar cartilage are granted. The Veteran also has other issues remanded.

The Board has granted an effective date of December 17, 2014 for the grant of service connection for PTSD with major depressive disorder and cannabis use disorder. The Veteran's claim was previously denied in July 2015 due to a lack of verified stressor event, but new evidence received after this decision showed that the Veteran had experienced an in-service PTSD stressor event prior to December 17, 2014.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent prior to December 6, 2022. The appeal for a higher rating or TDIU was denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of current diagnoses and insufficient evidence linking his claimed conditions to his active-duty service.,Additional development is required to determine if the Veteran currently suffers from any of these conditions, as well as whether they are related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at the maximum (100%) disability rating due to symptoms that approximate total occupational and social impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, PTSD due to MST, alcohol use disorder, drug use disorder, and body dysmorphia, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disability in service or post-service continuity of symptoms. The Board also found that the Veteran's statements regarding his onset of these conditions were inconsistent with contemporaneous medical records.

The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, eye disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been reopened. The Veteran's right and left knee limitation of extension are now rated at 30 percent each.

The Board dismissed all issues on appeal due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeals.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's in-service MST is related to his current condition. Service connection for OCD was not established.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable due to his part-time employment as an attorney, which exceeds the poverty threshold and does not qualify as marginal employment.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were dismissed. The appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for TBI residuals, PTSD, migraines, and tinnitus due to the character of discharge issue. The appellant's military service is being reviewed for a possible upgrade in his character of discharge from other than honorable conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board has also determined that remand is necessary for further development regarding his lupus erythematosus, skin conditions, and acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for PTSD due to new evidence received since the last decision in 2019.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the possibility of an extraschedular rating based on his service-connected PTSD, despite not meeting schedular requirements.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has remanded for further development to determine if a higher rating is warranted. The issue of entitlement to TDIU remains pending.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was rated at 30 percent prior to January 26, 2022. The Board found the evidence insufficient for a higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to December 3, 2019, have been largely consistent with suicidal ideation and other symptoms resulting in occupational and social impairment. The Veteran is granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD prior to that date.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder was granted, but his claim for service connection itself remains denied.,The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted, but his claim for service connection itself remains denied.