PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

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

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA examination for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, anxiety and insomnia. The Veteran was diagnosed with these conditions during service but no in-service stressor has been verified.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and/or unspecified bipolar disorder due to a lack of adequate medical opinions addressing the etiology of his conditions. The case is being returned for further development.

The Veteran's appeal of the December 1981 rating decision that denied service connection for PTSD based on CUE is dismissed as a matter of law.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 100 percent effective March 27, 2021. The Board has remanded the claim for a TDIU prior to this date.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information provided by the Veteran regarding a stressor event during service. The VA is instructed to send the additional details to the VA Records Research Center for further investigation.

Service connection granted for PTSD related to in-service stressors.,Service connection granted for adjustment disorder with anxious features secondary to service-connected oral cancer.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD was denied, and the appeal for TDIU was granted.

The Board has determined that there are outstanding relevant VA treatment records in VistA Imaging system and these records need to be obtained before making a decision on the merits of this appeal.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of sleep apnea, as it was already decided in a previous January 2024 decision and the March 2022 AMA appeal was erroneously docketed.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for his left fifth finger status-post fracture was denied as the evidence did not support an increase in rating.,Service connection for PTSD and other acquired psychiatric disorders were also denied, with no current diagnosis found.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, claimed as an acquired psychiatric condition to include PTSD and depression, started in service and has continued since then. The Board finds that the evidence supports granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD is denied because there was no prior pending claim of service connection for a psychological disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD has not resulted in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a rating of 70 percent. The Board found that the symptoms did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Board dismissed the appeal to reduce PTSD from 70% to 50%, as no final rating action was taken due to continuous rating at 70%. The Veteran's PTSD has been continuously rated at 70% since April 25, 2018.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for recurrent right ankle sprains has been denied as the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.,The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for his right ankle surgical scar has also been denied due to the scar measuring less than 144 square inches and not associated with underlying soft tissue damage.,The Veteran's PTSD claim is remanded as there was an error in failing to consider updated evidence showing suicidal ideation.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 70 percent rating for PTSD as of July 1, 2020. However, the claim for a higher disability rating remains pending and requires further examination to determine if the reduction was proper.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for a 70 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss. The claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and left lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran requested to withdraw her appeal for an increased rating of PTSD and MDD, which was dismissed by the Board.