PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with panic disorder and agoraphobia has prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment since August 3, 2012. The Board finds that the limitations caused by his PTSD have precluded him from engaging in substantial work due to his inability to control anger outbursts and maintain focus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and obstructive sleep apnea are being remanded due to incomplete records and inadequate medical opinions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain missing records, including private treatment records and VistA Imaging documents. They must also seek clarification on the secondary theory of service connection and provide a comprehensive opinion regarding the etiology of OSA and any acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and alcohol use disorder, as secondary to his service-connected post-concussive headaches.

The Board has identified a pre-decisional duty to assist error and is remanding the case for further action, including obtaining SSA records.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with verifying in-service stressors and a need for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD, major depressive disorder, and an anxiety condition due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's psychiatric disabilities are currently service connected but the RO must obtain a VA opinion to determine if they are caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the reduction of the Veteran's PTSD rating from 100 to 50 percent effective August 1, 2021 was proper based on evidence showing improvement in his ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to substantially comply with prior remand directives, specifically not obtaining a VA examination as instructed. The Veteran's absence at the scheduled examination is acknowledged and will be considered in determining whether he attends his next examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD and headaches, finding that the October 2012 decision did not commit clear and unmistakable error. The Board also found no compelling circumstances to warrant a prolonged AWOL period.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error and requires an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's somatic symptom disorder.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of August 16, 2021, for the grant of service connection for PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder is denied. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date was the day following the Veteran's separation from active duty on August 15, 2021.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an earlier effective date of a 50% rating for PTSD because the Veteran withdrew her appeal prior to the decision being issued.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including headaches and PTSD, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted TDIU based on the combined effect of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not manifested functional impairment to the extent that a compensable rating may be assigned during the rating period.,For the entire period on appeal, the criteria for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD have not been met.

The Board has found that the evidence is insufficient to determine whether the Veteran's PTSD is related to his active service, and therefore remands the case for a new examination.

The Veteran's hypertension was found not to meet the criteria for a compensable rating, and his TDIU claim was granted due to service-connected PTSD and prostate cancer impairing his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD that conforms to DSM-5 criteria.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and TBI was denied. The VA examiner found that the symptoms were predominantly due to PTSD, with some overlap from TBI.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disability rating from November 8, 2010, to May 14, 2014, and as of August 1, 2014. The Veteran's symptoms include occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.

The Veteran's challenges to the overpayment created due to withholding of attorney fees are denied. The amount of his debt is reduced from $4,514.59 to $4,334.50.