PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim for service connection for any acquired psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, is granted. The Board finds new and relevant evidence has been submitted since the August 2019 rating decision, which includes additional CAPRI treatment records and the Veteran's testimony at the hearing. As a result, the claim is remanded for readjudication.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the claim due to a duty to assist error and will need to clarify the Veteran's mental health diagnoses and determine if any current acquired psychiatric disorder is superimposed on a previously-diagnosed personality disorder.

The Board has granted an effective date of August 24, 2010 for the award of service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's claim was reopened due to new and material evidence submitted within one year of the July 2011 rating decision.

The Board is unable to determine the type of educational assistance the Veteran challenges, the amount(s) associated with each form of assistance, and the information provided by the Veteran in connection with her enrollment and drop-out from the course of study. The case is being remanded for further clarification.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric conditions and their relation to service, specifically military sexual trauma (MST).

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD and remanded the claims for dementia, head trauma without loss of consciousness, and bilateral hearing loss due to toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran is required to undergo further examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his service.

The Veteran's PTSD and TBI with residuals are not rated higher than the current assigned ratings due to lack of evidence supporting more severe impairment.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for combat neurosis due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July 8, 2019, for the award of service connection for PTSD and depression is denied. The appeal for a higher initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD and depression is also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, left and right foot disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation throughout the period on appeal. The Board granted his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's requests to reopen claims for service connection for GERD, a heart condition, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy in the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and PTSD with anxiety and depression have been granted. The Board has considered new evidence that was not previously of record at the time of the prior final rating decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an expert medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused or aggravated his hyperlipidemia, and if so, whether this condition has caused or aggravated any of his other conditions beyond its natural progression.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for migraine headaches is being remanded due to the need for a VA opinion regarding whether his current migraines are caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes, hypertension, or PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for PTSD, TMJ, tinnitus, and migraines. The earliest effective date assigned was May 30, 2016, for PTSD, TMJ, and tinnitus, and February 16, 2017, for migraines.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and headaches (including migraines) due to missing STRs and personnel records. The Veteran's statements are considered true in determining the etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for TMJ and PTSD has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused his OSA, and thus grants service connection for OSA as secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for PTSD is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error and conflicting medical evidence.

The Veteran's claims for an increased evaluation of ischemic heart disease and earlier effective date for PTSD were denied. The claim for TDIU benefits was also denied as the issue had not been raised prior to the issuance of the July 2012 rating decision.