PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2023

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and nightmare disorder. The case is remanded to obtain a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities, including whether they are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in addressing specific evidence and failing to consider the combined impact of all service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's TDIU claim will be reconsidered with additional development.

The Board has granted the Veteran a TDIU from January 20, 2013, to January 31, 2017. The claim for service connection for a back disability is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to March 14, 2014, for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the schedular requirements for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities and concluded that referral to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration was not warranted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of chronic low back strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and PTSD have been denied due to failure to report for VA examinations.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is also denied as it was dependent on the nature of underlying service-connected disabilities including the back, radiculopathy, and PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was denied due to the belief that he left his most recent job due to a whistleblower complaint. The Board found no evidence of such a claim being made by the Veteran.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and a new VA examination is needed to determine its current severity.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD was manifested by symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, social isolation, chronic sleep impairment, hypervigilance, difficulty with concentration, anhedonia, and exaggerated startle response. These symptoms resulted in occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to a lack of verification regarding whether the 173rd Airborne was deployed to Vietnam in 1964.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a right elbow disorder was denied. For PTSD, an initial rating of 50% was granted prior to October 4, 2022, but a higher rating in excess of 70% from that date onwards was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, finding that it is less likely than not that his current psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and an effective date of January 10, 2007, for the grant of service connection for PTSD.,However, the issue regarding a higher rating for PTSD prior to June 25, 2019, is being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection and TDIU was granted. The effective dates are November 16, 2015 (for the grant of service connection) and November 16, 2016 (for the grant of TDIU).

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent disability rating since May 30, 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for tinnitus, headaches, PTSD, excessive alcohol use, and muscle twitching due to additional evidence being added to the file.

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

The Veteran's celiac disease is granted as secondary to PTSD, and a rating of 30 percent for hypothyroidism prior to August 22, 2017 is granted. The issue of service connection for hypertension is remanded.

The Board has expanded the Veteran's claim to include entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The matter is remanded due to conflicting opinions and incomplete record.

The Veteran's appeal regarding service connection for various conditions was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals.,The Veteran is granted service connection for sleep apnea, which is etiologically related to his service-connected Parkinson's disease.

The Board has restored the prior separate 10 percent rating for TBI, finding that the Veteran's memory impairment is due to his TBI and not his PTSD.