PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2023

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to posttraumatic stress disorder or a depressive disorder, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is part of his service-connected PTSD, and therefore, he cannot be granted separate service connection for it.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new examination to assess his current PTSD symptoms, as six years have passed since his last VA examination. The claim will be reconsidered based on this updated evidence.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including SSA records and private treatment records. The Veteran will be provided with a Statement of the Case regarding his earlier effective date claim for DEA benefits.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for PTSD with recurrent MDD and a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records, a contemporaneous VA examination, and readjudication of both issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal of whether a substantive appeal was timely filed in response to a February 2017 statement of the case, finding that the appeal was untimely due to the failure to file within the required 60-day period.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been productive of a disability picture that more nearly approximates occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting an initial evaluation of 50 percent for the entire appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current psychiatric disorder is caused by or related to in-service marital issues.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, as new evidence was added to the claims file since the last decision. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed due to the addition of new evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and depression, due to inadequate examination findings. The case is returned for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for asthma has been dismissed. The claim of service connection for a bilateral foot disability is reopened, but the claims for other conditions are still pending and will be remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to June 20, 2017 resulted in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks. However, the evidence did not show total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting diagnoses of PTSD and insufficient evidence for verifying the Veteran's claimed stressors. The case also requires a VA examination to determine if depression is related to service or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for left knee, cervical spine, and thoracic spine conditions have been granted. The claim for PTSD remains denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of substantial compliance with previous instructions, specifically regarding obtaining private medical treatment records from John 3:16 Ministries and VA treatment records from October 2013 to September 2015. The Veteran is requested to provide authorization for these records.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted at a 70% rating from December 28, 2016, to February 27, 2017.,A higher rating for PTSD is denied from February 27, 2017, to February 1, 2018.

The Veteran's PTSD, anxiety, and depression are rated at 70 percent from May 2, 2016. The issue of TDIU prior to March 6, 2019 is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate prior to January 27, 2016 is denied because his service-connected PTSD alone does not meet the criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the appeal is only to this extent. The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen his claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a back disability, high blood pressure, and migraines. Further development is needed before the merits of these claims can be addressed.