PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, anxiety, and PTSD), plantar fasciitis left lower extremity, plantar fasciitis right lower extremity, and left shoulder disability due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's PTSD warrants a rating of 100 percent, effective from the date of his initial service connection.,The appeal for an earlier effective date for TDIU is dismissed as moot due to the grant of a 100 percent rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal to remove his spouse as a dependent from his VA benefits was dismissed because the proposed removal was not a final decision and the spouse had been reinstated.

The Board has found that the VA examination provided in June 2023 was inadequate and remanded for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, is related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50% before, and the Board has now granted a 70% rating effective March 1, 2022. The Veteran's symptoms have worsened to the point where they meet the criteria for a 70% disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70 percent rating, effective from March 18, 2022.,Service connection for CAD due to exposure in the Gulf War is granted with a 30 percent rating as of March 18, 2022.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, finding that there was no current diagnosis of PTSD and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between any diagnosed condition and in-service stressors.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new examination is required.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines secondary to other service-connected disabilities is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion. The Board requires a supplemental opinion addressing whether the migraines are caused by or aggravated by any of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of July 7, 2021 for both the award of Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The effective date is based on the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's entitlement to a higher disability rating for his service-connected PTSD is granted, with the highest possible rating of 70 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD and TBI have been rated at 70 percent, but not higher. The issue of entitlement to a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is moot as the grant of a 70 percent rating for PTSD and TBI has resulted in a total combined evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as PTSD), a neck disability, osteoarthritis of the right elbow (now claimed as a right arm disability), and right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus was rated at 10 percent disabling, and his left ear hearing loss did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for initial increased ratings for PTSD, OSA, and chronic kidney disease. The issues are dismissed as a result.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a combined rating for PTSD with TBI, an earlier effective date for TDIU and DEA. The AOJ is instructed to obtain private treatment records from Dr. Ahmed.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition was aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was already granted by the AOJ in February 2022, and this decision is dismissed as moot since he passed away.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, and thus is dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, to include anxiety.

The Veteran's PTSD was productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70 percent rating. The Board finds that the date entitlement arose to the assignment of a 70 percent rating was prior to the date of filing the initial claim, April 13, 2020.