PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, chronic adjustment disorder, anxiety, and depressed mood. The Veteran's claims are related to his service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol use disorder is rated at 70 percent from November 21, 2016. He also received a TDIU and an effective date of November 21, 2016 for Dependents' Education Assistance (DEA).

The Veteran's claims for bronchitis, athlete's foot, hypercholesterolemia, and dermatitis were denied. The claim for PTSD was granted.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus and remanded the remaining claims due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's heart disability, hypertension, and anemia are also being remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spondylosis, PTSD, insomnia, adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, right shoulder arthritis and impingement syndrome, left heel spur, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment since July 1, 2022. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow any substantially gainful occupation, thus the Board grants an extraschedular TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus. The issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD prior to May 10, 2022, and to a rating in excess of 70 percent thereafter, as well as the issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to May 10, 2022, are being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was denied as he did not meet the schedular percentage criteria for assignment of a TDIU prior to May 28, 2010. The effective date for DEA benefits is also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy, left and right knee arthritis, small bowel resection, abdominal scars, and abdominal surgical scar, have rendered her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. As a result, TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for renunciation of VA compensation benefits is denied as the renouncement was made effective October 1, 2020.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, MDD with anxious distress, a right eye disorder, and sleep apnea are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety and PTSD, was granted in a separate Rating Decision. As the full benefits sought have been granted, the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric condition and its relationship to service. The VA must provide an adequate medical opinion addressing the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, including whether it is related to his military service or aggravated by his service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae.

The Veteran's PTSD and major depressive disorder have been granted a 50 percent disability rating, effective from August 23, 2016. The claim for TDIU has been denied.

The Veteran's tinea cruris was not rated as compensable due to the lack of characteristic skin lesions affecting at least 5% but less than 20% of his entire body or exposed areas, and intermittent systemic therapy required for a total duration of less than six weeks over the past 12-month period.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD and unspecified trauma- and stressor-related disorder) and erectile dysfunction were not found to be proximately due to or the result of his service-connected tinea cruris. The examiner was asked to provide an opinion on whether these conditions underwent any incremental increase in disability due to the service-connected tinea cruris.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for left knee instability and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities has been dismissed as moot. The Veteran is already receiving a combined 100% disability rating, which covers multiple conditions including his knee issues, arthritis, PTSD with depression, sleep disorder, concentration and memory issues, and autoimmune disease. As none of these conditions alone prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, the TDIU issue has been dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbosacral strain, bilateral tinnitus, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, prevent her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, and the Board found that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to insufficient evidence of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of January 5, 2023, for a 100 percent evaluation for PTSD with unspecified neurocognitive disorder. The decision found that there was no basis for such an earlier effective date.