PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus does not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus denying his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to a disability other than PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to determine if he is competent to handle his VA benefits due to a psychiatric hospitalization for PTSD.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder with major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder is currently rated at 70 percent, but the Board has determined that a higher rating of 100 percent is not warranted due to lack of evidence of total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol use disorder and unspecified depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent effective February 3, 2006. The Board also granted a TDIU effective March 2019.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to May 2, 2020 resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity but did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran does not meet the basic eligibility requirements for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) based on his service-connected disability status.

The Board has denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, and sinusitis. The claim of service connection for a disability manifested by perceived noise in the ears is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance is denied because her service-connected PTSD does not require regular aid and assistance. The claim for housebound status is also denied as she does not meet the criteria due to a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted a 100 percent rating for PTSD and dismissed the claim for TDIU due to the Veteran's service-connected disability now meeting the criteria.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, effective July 2008. The Board granted a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized by persistent delusions, grossly inappropriate behavior, and intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, is rated at 100 percent from November 30, 2017. The Board also granted SMC HB effective September 18, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD, major depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder is granted as there is medical evidence diagnosing these conditions, credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressor actually occurred, and medical evidence of a link between the current symptomatology and the claimed in-service stressor.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in obtaining relevant private treatment records and VA medical opinions, as well as unclear diagnoses of personality disorder. The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder are being reconsidered.

The Veteran's application for Legacy S-DVI insurance was denied because it was not received within two years of the most recent grant of service connection for a disability rated at 10 percent or more. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the basic eligibility requirements for Legacy S-DVI under 38 U.S.C. § 1922(a).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and unspecified anxiety disorder, are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and consideration of new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of August 20, 2020 for a 100 percent rating for PTSD. The Board found that it was not factually ascertainable that the Veteran's PTSD had increased in severity to warrant such a rating within one year prior to his claim.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted with a 10% rating. The PTSD with alcohol use disorder and COPD are denied as not warranting an increased rating.

The Board has granted an effective date of October 4, 2018 for a 70% rating for PTSD with major depressive disorder. The Veteran's symptoms warranted this increased rating as early as October 4, 2018.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 50 percent level, but no higher, due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a psychiatric disorder was denied as the evidence did not show continuous pursuit of his original July 2013 claim, and the new evidence submitted in July 2020 did not establish that the psychiatric disorder resulted from or was aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder was denied as there is no legal right to this benefit.