PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's PTSD rating was reduced from 70% to 50%, but the Board has restored the original 70% rating effective January 1, 2022.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The claims for persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, left ankle condition, and hypertension are remanded.

The Veteran is granted an earlier effective date of December 1, 2019 for his TDIU based on service-connected somatic symptom disorder.,He also received an earlier effective date of December 1, 2019 for eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under Chapter 35.

The Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease/IVDS, is granted. The appeal for a TDIU based on PTSD and other service-connected conditions is dismissed due to procedural issues.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating of 100 percent is not warranted due to lack of total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in duty to assist and insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric conditions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for PTSD and chronic adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, which are currently diagnosed. The VA must obtain additional records and provide a new VA examination to determine if these diagnoses meet the DSM-5 criteria and whether they are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for PTSD service connection has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date of October 18, 2016, for his 100 percent rating for PTSD was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has denied a compensable disability rating for erectile dysfunction and granted a 10 percent disability rating for urinary frequency. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, which the Board found not to meet the criteria for a higher rating. The issue of service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for dermatitis was dismissed. His claim for service connection for OSA was dismissed as the June 2023 decision effectively granted his appeal in full. The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disability, but granted a 10 percent rating for sinusitis.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms were factually ascertainable by November 2018, prior to his March 27, 2019 claim for service connection. The Board has granted an effective date of March 27, 2019, but no earlier, for the grant of service connection for PTSD.

The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD, effective June 22, 2018. The Veteran's symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, is rated at the highest possible level of disability (100 percent) for the entire period on appeal.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, the highest available rating. The VA has also granted a TDIU based on unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically failing to obtain a VA examination for the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disabilities. The Veteran is presumed to have an in-service stressor and has been treated for various conditions including alcohol dependence and depression.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, which reflects occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The criteria for a higher rating of 100 percent are not met due to the absence of severe symptoms such as gross impairment in thought processes or communication, persistent delusions or hallucinations, grossly inappropriate behavior, persistent danger of hurting self or others, intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene), or disorientation to time or place.

The Board has determined that there is a need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's GERD, including whether it is related to his service-connected PTSD. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 40% rating for left knee instability with osteoarthritis is denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show a factually ascertainable increase in severity of her condition within one year prior to July 28, 2023.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100% rating for PTSD is granted and effective as of May 2, 2023. The Board found that the evidence showed total occupational and social impairment due to her PTSD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that his current diagnosis of PTSD is related to his in-service stressors and assigning a rating as warranted.