PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's request to readjudicate the claims for PTSD and mental health conditions has been granted. The Board is now remanding these claims due to insufficient evidence.,The right foot disability claim remains in a 'remanded' status.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been found to meet the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating, effective September 25, 2010. The Veteran's migraine headaches have also met the criteria for a 50 percent disability rating.

The Veteran requested and the Board received a complete withdrawal of his appeal for an increased rating for PTSD prior to April 27, 2022. As a result, the issue is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD because new and relevant evidence did not show a current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied as there is not sufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that the Veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities prior to February 26, 2020.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy are granted. Service connection for PTSD is denied, with the claim for right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy being remanded.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's GERD is not service-connected, but due to a duty-to-assist error, the case must be remanded for further evaluation regarding whether his GERD was caused or aggravated by his PTSD and/or its medications.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to errors in obtaining relevant VA treatment records and the inadequacy of the March 2021 VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated at a 70 percent disability rating, the highest available under the General Formula for Mental Disorders (General Formula), and has been granted for the entire period on appeal.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD due to the lack of corroborated in-service stressor. The TBI claim is remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's current TBI and its residuals are related to his military service.

The Veteran seeks earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits due to service-connected disabilities. The Board finds that the failure to refer the issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to July 17, 2015, to the Director was an error in satisfying a regulatory duty, as it has a reasonable possibility of aiding in substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 100% rating, and his left total knee arthroplasty residuals are granted a 60% rating prior to November 8, 2021. The appeal for a higher rating on or after November 8, 2021, for the left knee disability remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and PTSD, finding that both conditions are causally related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The effective date is not specified as it pertains to a rating increase.

The Board has granted a 70 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and dismissed the claim for TDIU as moot due to his already receiving a combined 100 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, and his claim for a higher rating for MDD with anxious distress from September 21, 2018, to prior to May 22, 2020, was also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD and concluded that the Veteran's symptoms were more consistent with a 50 percent rating for MDD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since February 2, 2019. Effective that date, he is granted TDIU and DEA benefits.

The Veteran's effective date for DEA benefits is denied as the combined rating of 100% was not permanent in nature until April 7, 2021.

The Veteran's claim for a more than 30 percent rating for service-connected PTSD is remanded due to inconsistencies in the September 2021 VA examination report and need for clarification of symptoms.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development and consideration of evidence.

The Board has granted a total disability rating for PTSD, finding that the appellant's symptoms have resulted in total social and occupational impairment.