PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the Veteran's December 16, 2019, Higher-Level Review (HLR) form was timely filed and accepted. As a result, the VA must now proceed with adjudicating his request for higher-level review regarding the reopening of his claims of service connection for anxiety disorder, hearing loss, right-knee condition, and PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD arose from his active-duty service and grants entitlement to service connection for PTSD.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for posttraumatic stress disorder and left knee disorder due to the death of the appellant during the appeal process.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected PTSD was filed on July 10, 2018. The Board found that the criteria for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) were met as of this date due to the severity of her PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and unspecified trauma and other stressor disorder, meets the schedular requirement for TDIU effective May 16, 2022.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for PTSD due to incomplete records and potential errors in pre-decisional duty to assist.

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on a direct basis, finding that the Veteran's PTSD is related to an in-service stressor involving his spouse being raped during service.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is dismissed as moot due to the grant of TDIU in an earlier decision. The Veteran's migraine headaches are granted a 10 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating of 100 percent is not warranted due to lack of total social and occupational impairment.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for prostate cancer and various musculoskeletal and psychiatric disabilities. The issues of service connection for left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral shoulder disability, acquired psychiatric disability (including anxiety and/or PTSD), sleep disability (including apnea), left hip disability, right hip disability, left leg disability, and right leg disability are all remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. Service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss disability is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, anxiety, and sleep disturbances is rated at 70 percent prior to July 20, 2022. The rating was denied as the Veteran did not demonstrate total occupational and social impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100% disability rating for PTSD, finding that prior to December 2, 2011, there was no evidence of total occupational and social impairment due to PTSD symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD is denied as there were no pending claims prior to February 6, 2019.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD. The Board dismissed the case as a result.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder is being remanded due to an incomplete VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chloracne, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD and dysthymia (claimed as depression) have been denied. The evidence does not support a finding of new and material evidence to reopen any of these claims.,Service connection was denied on the basis that there is no current diagnosis of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and effective dates have been denied.,The Veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date for the awards of service connection or other benefits.

The Veteran's death was caused by pneumonia due to or as a consequence of renal failure. The service-connected conditions, including PTSD, degenerative disc disease, and hypertension, substantially contributed to the cause of his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a vascular disorder, including as due to toxic exposures during military service, need further development. The case is being remanded for additional examinations and opinions.