PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2023

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bipolar disorder, depression, and PTSD to include substance abuse due to new evidence received since the August 2013 rating decision. The claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his active service.,PTSD, DM with ED and nephropathy, and DPN of the RLE and LLE are all granted effective from March 23, 2017.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, but the Board finds that he does not meet the criteria for a higher rating or for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder, finding no in-service stressor or other evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The claim for ED was also denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the condition and service.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with major depressive disorder, and remanded the cases regarding hypertension, respiratory disorder, headaches, and SMC.

The Board has dismissed all claims related to the appellant's service connection for various conditions, including low back disability, hypertension, and PTSD. The appeals were also dismissed regarding rating decisions and TDIU.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for PTSD was granted, but his increased rating claim for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a 100% disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 50 percent disability level for the entire appeal period, which grants him an evaluation of 50 percent and no higher.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated as 30 percent disabling prior to August 12, 2016. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD due to the severity of his symptoms resulting in occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder, finding that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to in-service stressors. The decision also acknowledges other psychiatric diagnoses but attributes them to the now service-connected PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings for PTSD, increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for ischemic heart disease have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew from appeal these issues.

The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with the prior remand and thus, the appeal must be remanded again. The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including as due to herbicide exposure, and TDIU are being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD with persistent depressive disorder is currently rated at 70 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted due to his symptoms not meeting criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's IHD symptoms more nearly approximated the criteria for a 100 percent disability rating, and his PTSD symptoms from March 24, 2016 to August 10, 2017 met the criteria for an initial disability rating of 70 percent. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU is moot as both IHD and PTSD are now rated at or above their respective maximum ratings.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to new and material evidence. However, the Board denied the claim as there is no credible evidence linking his current psychiatric disability to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives. The issues include PTSD, anxiety, sleep apnea, and aneurysm (AAA).

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied prior to October 6, 2021 as he was employed in a substantially gainful occupation with reported earnings above the poverty threshold level for a single person and a household of two people.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD based on a verified in-service stressor, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a viral infection of the bilateral feet was denied. The rating for PTSD prior to January 23, 2020, and from that date onward were both remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there was not a credible in-service stressor and no diagnosis of PTSD according to DSM-5.