PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right elbow, shin, hip or pelvis disabilities and acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for low back disability.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent for the period from January 25, 2017 to February 22, 2022. For periods prior to February 22, 2022, the Veteran was granted a TDIU based on service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence received after a previous Supplemental Statement of the Case. The issues include the cause of death, intracranial hemorrhage, acquired psychiatric disorder (likely PTSD), diabetes mellitus, low back disorder, hypertension, and eye disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis is granted due to exposure to fine particulate matter during Gulf War service. The claims for PTSD and sleep apnea are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for obtaining possibly outstanding treatment records related to PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity prior to June 11, 2018. From June 11, 2018, to August 13, 2023, the impairment was more severe, warranting a 70 percent rating. Since then, the Veteran's PTSD has resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation from January 22, 2016 to September 24, 2019.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings and TDIU related to PTSD was withdrawn. The appeals for bilateral hand disorder, right-hand disorder, hallux valgus of each foot, pes planus of the right foot, and pes planus of the left foot were denied.,The Board found no evidence that any current bilateral hand or foot conditions had onset in service or are otherwise causally connected to active duty. The Veteran's symptoms began decades after her separation from service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has remanded for further development.,The Veteran maintains that he should be granted a TDIU based on his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The rating for his PTSD remains at 50 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further action to obtain VA treatment records related to the Veteran's PTSD and lumbar strain disabilities from a Vet Center in Memphis, Tennessee. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for PTSD and an earlier effective date for TDIU are also being remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 70 percent for PTSD and a TDIU effective September 21, 2020. The appellant was the representative on these issues at the time of the grant in September 2021.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and SMC based on loss of use of the bilateral lower extremities was denied because VA never received a qualifying request to review this decision.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of April 10, 2012 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there were no communications prior to that date that could be interpreted as a claim. The VA received relevant official service department records in August 2017 which supported the Veteran's claims.

The appeal for service connection for PTSD, Tinnitus, and Unspecified Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorder is dismissed. The case is remanded for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee strain.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was remanded due to a duty to assist error regarding his income from 2020. The Board found that the RO failed to clarify the Veteran's AGI, which is necessary to determine if he qualifies for TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to her in-service MST and grants service connection for PTSD based on MST.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, but no higher, due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, MDD, insomnia, and generalized anxiety disorder, are related to his active service. The MST he experienced prior to entering the Air Force Academy is considered a contributing factor in the development of these conditions.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the character of discharge issue in the modernized appeals framework as it was already reviewed and remanded for development by the Board.