PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Veteran is granted a TDIU and DEA benefits from January 1, 2015 to March 19, 2021 due to service-connected PTSD, TBI, and tension headaches.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's current disability is related to an in-service stressor and resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and duty-to-assist errors. The cervical spine disability claim is remanded for a VA examination, while the psychiatric disorder claim requires an opinion on the nature of any diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension is manifested by systolic pressures predominantly less than 160 and diastolic pressures less than 100; the Veteran requires continuous medication to control his hypertension. The appeal for an initial compensable evaluation for hypertension is denied.,The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a lack of in-service audiometric data under both ASA and ISO-ANSI standards, requiring additional examination.,The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for stroke residuals is remanded due to the need for an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not related to active service, including exposure to herbicides.,The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for skin cancer is remanded due to the need for an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not related to active service, including exposure to herbicides.,The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include posttraumatic stress disorder) is remanded due to the need for an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not related to active service.

The Board has granted an effective date of February 9, 2005 for the grant of service connection for PTSD with depression and panic attacks. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU remains pending as it is inextricably intertwined with the earlier effective date determination.

The Veteran's PTSD disability rating was reduced from 50% to 30%, but the Board has granted a 70% disability rating for PTSD effective December 4, 2019.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to January 16, 2014, due to insufficient evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to work. The record did not raise a reasonable possibility of unemployability.

The Veteran's appeal for a continued 70 percent rating for PTSD, previously rated as MDD, is dismissed because the RO changed the diagnosis to PTSD and continued the 70 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for various conditions have been dismissed.,The appeal for service connection for a right hip condition has also been dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms more closely approximated those associated with a 50 percent disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, particularly his PTSD. The VA examiner needs to consider the Veteran's stressor events and provide a more comprehensive opinion on the relationship between his current psychiatric conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete evidence and failure to consider certain theories of entitlement. The Veteran's claims are related to his military service, but specific details about stressors and medical records remain unclear.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for his PTSD rating has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms result in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but not total occupational and social impairment. A 70 percent rating is granted for PTSD.

The Veteran's effective date for additional dependency benefits for his spouse, C.S., and adopted child, V., is granted as October 31, 2018.,The Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his son, K., is denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of entitlement to OSA secondary to PTSD should be remanded due to inadequate medical opinion and a failure to consider lay statements and the Veteran's medical record.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right and left shin splints, PTSD, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and Raynaud's syndrome have all been denied.,Specifically, the Board found no evidence of diagnosable right or left shin splints in either leg. The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent, but a higher rating is not granted due to lack of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, unspecified joint pain, fatigue (other than a psychiatric disability), and sleep disturbance condition (other than a psychiatric disability) are granted. The appeal is remanded for further development on the issue of service connection for unspecified joint pain.