PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU due to their service-connected PTSD, which has rendered them unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence, including missing medical records and a lack of VA examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is being reviewed again.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their passing, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's PTSD. The Veteran and his sister have provided lay statements supporting their claims of in-service military sexual trauma (MST).

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the increased rating of 70 percent for PTSD to include TBI is granted, with the effective date set at May 4, 2021.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), right knee degenerative joint disease, and left foot calcification. The decision is based on a finding that all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran has been resolved.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding secondary service connection for OSA. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with new VA opinions addressing whether his current OSA would exist without his service-connected conditions and if it would be less severe.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and insomnia, is being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The Board will attempt to verify the Veteran's claimed stressors and schedule him for an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent prior to January 14, 2020 and 70 percent from that date. The Board denied entitlement to higher ratings.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for knee disorder, manifested by weakness and left shoulder disorder, manifested by loss of motion. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety, depression, and PTSD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted with an effective date of March 1, 2017. The Board found that the evidence did not show a worsening in his service-connected disabilities during the one-year look-back period and thus could not establish entitlement to an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) is granted, with an effective date of July 12, 1983.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder was dismissed as moot because the issue has been fully granted in a previous decision.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD with claustrophobia and anxiety, was related to his active service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms and overall impairment have more nearly approximated deficiencies in most areas, but not total occupational and social impairment. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of total and occupational and social impairment due to PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol abuse disorder is granted an increased rating to 70 percent, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error involving missing Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The SSA records are needed to fully assess the Veteran's disability picture and its impact on his employability.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural errors and a need for an adequate VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the appellant's diagnosed psychiatric conditions.

The Board has remanded the claim for TDIU due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, including a vocational assessment dated May 30, 2023. The claim will be referred to the Director, Compensation Service, for consideration of an extraschedular rating.

The Board has granted an effective date of December 10, 2009 for the grant of service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's claims for left and right knee conditions are remanded due to procedural errors.