PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error regarding PTSD. A new examination and medical opinion are needed to determine if the Veteran's diagnosed PTSD is related to his in-service stressor.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD as secondary to her service-connected PTSD with insomnia and TBI, finding that there is a causal nexus between the two conditions.

The Board has decided that there is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, are related to his military service. The case is being remanded for further investigation and examination.

The Veteran's PTSD with schizophrenia is rated at 70 percent from December 16, 1975. The Board found that the symptoms did not rise to a level warranting a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain an etiology opinion addressing whether the Veteran's adjustment disorder, unspecified with alcohol dependence with other alcohol-induced disorder is secondary to his back and knee disabilities. The examiner must provide opinions on this matter.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, major depressive disorder, and cannabis use disorder was granted with an effective date of October 6, 2020.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted as the evidence supports a link between his reported stressor during service and his current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require the need for regular aid and attendance of another person, as evidenced by his inability to dress, feed himself, or perform daily activities without assistance. The Board has granted SMC based on this need.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for posttraumatic stress disorder with traumatic brain injury, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder from March 13, 2021, and entitlement to special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria are dismissed. The appeal for an effective date earlier than September 14, 2015, for the award of Dependents' Educational Assistance is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection and rating issues, including anxiety with PTSD and depression, cervical spine disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, left knee disability, and a proposed reduction in the evaluation of low back pain.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance for the period of time on appeal.

The reduction of the rating for PTSD with TBI from 100 percent to 70 percent effective July 1, 2021, was improper. The Veteran's condition has not improved under ordinary conditions of life and work, so the rating is restored to 100 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA psychiatric examination to determine the severity of his service-connected PTSD. The TDIU and Dependents' Education Assistance claims are also being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of SMC housebound has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support housebound status prior to January 22, 2021, when the Veteran became entitled on a schedular basis due to his PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in not obtaining his private treatment records from Dr. M.W.

The Board has remanded the claims for an effective date earlier than June 1, 2021, for the grant of service connection for PTSD with schizoaffective disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder and Dependents' Educational Assistance due to a procedural error in obtaining a complete record of the Veteran's correction, change or modification of a military record (such as a character of discharge upgrade).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is dismissed because the grant of service connection for an unspecified anxiety disorder has rendered this issue moot.,Similarly, the Veteran's claim for service connection for insomnia is also dismissed as it is subsumed in the granted service connection for a psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating, and his claim was denied.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the issue of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder aggravating hepatocellular carcinoma causing death, as there are conflicting medical opinions and no opinion addressing whether PTSD aggravated the cancer.

The Veteran's request for a Higher-Level Review was timely filed, and his appeal is granted.