PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2023

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claims of service connection for depression and PTSD, finding no new and material evidence that would support reopening these previously denied claims.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine sprain and has remanded the issues regarding PTSD with opiate use disorder. The case is now pending further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and evaluation of the Veteran's psychiatric conditions, including PTSD. The VA examiner is required to provide etiology opinions based on a thorough review of the claims file.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is proximately due to or the result of service-connected disorders. The earlier effective dates for various conditions have been remanded.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and denied for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and hernia operation. The case is remanded for a VA examination to address the Veteran's claim of delayed-onset bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to missing documentation regarding a missed VA examination and rating decision notification letter. The Veteran's representative argues that these documents are necessary for determining whether the original December 1992 rating decision should be considered final.

The Board denied service connection for both the cervical spine disorder and the psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional records and development. The Board acknowledges that some of his conditions may be related to in-service exposures, but further examination is needed.

The Board denied entitlement to earlier effective dates for service connection of a psychiatric disorder and obstructive sleep apnea, as the earliest correspondence received by VA was on July 26, 2006.,The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for his obstructive sleep apnea was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, secondary to military personal assault and as related to his service-connected TBI is being remanded due to inadequate examination and medical opinions. The matter will be further developed with a VA examination by a psychiatrist.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection was received on August 4, 1997. The Board finds that the effective date of August 4, 1997 is correct and denies the request for an earlier effective date.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for residuals of prostate cancer, PTSD, and Parkinson's disease. The effective date was set at January 22, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of all currently diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder. The examiner must address the Veteran's lay statements in support of his claim.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for seizures and remanded the issues of service connection for TBI and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are inextricably intertwined with the seizure claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case for a VA psychiatric examination to determine if any identified psychiatric disabilities are related to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of September 21, 2022. The Board granted a TDIU based on the severity of his PTSD and other service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's increased rating claims for vertigo, brain hemorrhage with residual headache associated with TBI, and residuals of TBI have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher than 10 percent rating for any condition.,Specifically, the Board determined that the Veteran’s symptoms were more consistent with occasional dizziness rather than staggering or other forms of impairment.

The Board has decided that the VA's decision on right ear hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, and anxiety) needs to be reconsidered due to insufficient medical opinions and incomplete verification of stressor events.

The Veteran's claim for an increased level of special monthly compensation (SMC) is denied as he does not meet the criteria for SMC at the rate specified under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r). The Veteran was previously granted SMC based on his need for regular aid and attendance due to multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD is rated at 100% effective January 1, 2018. The Board granted an increased rating based on the evidence showing total occupational and social impairment.