PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for PTSD, sleep apnea, ED, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The issues include determining appropriate disability ratings for PTSD, establishing service connection for sleep apnea and ED, and assessing whether the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone, at least as likely as not prevented him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment for the entire period on appeal, prior to December 13, 2019. The Veteran is already awarded a 100 percent combined rating from December 13, 2019.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to insufficient evidence of a stressor related to the Veteran's service and inability to establish a nexus between his current psychiatric conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to issues with obtaining and reviewing medical records, as well as needing a VA examination. The claims are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU have been dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as he passed away during their pendency.

The Veteran's bilateral leg disorder is granted service connection as secondary to his already service-connected bilateral pes planus. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is denied as there was no in-service stressor and the evidence does not support a relationship with active duty.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder has been reopened, and both conditions are now granted as they are related to his active service.

The Veteran's PTSD and lumbosacral strain are granted service connection. The issue of an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for major depressive disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to April 23, 2021 were productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The Board granted a rating of 50 percent for this period.

The Veteran's cause of death is remanded for further evaluation regarding the use of alcohol to treat PTSD-related symptoms and its contribution to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for schizophrenia, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's condition was related to his military service. The decision also acknowledges a previous denial of PTSD and grants the claim based on new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence to corroborate the Veteran's reported stressors and for additional VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that there has not been substantial compliance with its January 2023 remand directives and the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, sleep apnea, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and increased evaluations for chondromalacia of the left and right knees are remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted with an initial rating of 70 percent. The ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus remain at 10 percent each, but the effective dates are set to December 5, 2016. Service connection for an abdominal disability is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was reopened and granted. The claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD with cannabis use disorder is rated at 70 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board denied his claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent. Additionally, the Veteran was granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to new evidence associated with the claims file.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depression, has been reopened. The case is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the diagnoses and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the August 2016 decision did not become final due to VA's failure to properly notify the Veteran of the January 2017 SOC. The claim for service connection for PTSD is remanded, and an increased rating for MDD is also remanded.