PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including Parkinson's disease and PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and MDD due to inadequate examination and duty to assist errors, as well as a determination that the presumption of soundness does not apply. The case will be adjudicated on a direct basis.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD is dismissed as moot because the AOJ has already granted service connection for a related condition (Persistent Depressive Disorder with anxious distress and panic disorder) on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted with a rating of 70 percent, but no higher. The issue of service connection for IBS is remanded due to a pre-decisional error.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board also found that he meets the criteria for TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has found a pre-decisional duty to assist error in the January 2022 rating decision and is remanding the case for further development.

The Veteran's OSA is rated as noncompensable prior to May 20, 2013 and as 50 percent disabling thereafter. The rating for hypertension was granted effective April 21, 2015 at a 10% level. The rating for PTSD with major depressive disorder and anxious distress remains at 70%. An effective date of January 13, 2011 is granted for TDIU, DEA benefits, and SMC.

The Veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks. The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board has restored the Veteran's disability rating for PTSD and MDD from 100% to 70%, effective September 30, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and related conditions such as depression and drug abuse. The decision is based on the occurrence of a recognized stressor during service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of December 4, 2020, for the award of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and establishment of basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits has been granted. The effective dates are based on the Veteran meeting the criteria for these benefits as of that date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he has maintained employment in the past and can perform substantially gainful employment despite his conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and posttraumatic stress disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including failure to obtain SSA records and insufficient VA examinations. The Veteran's psychiatric conditions need further clarification.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to April 5, 2022 did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation. From April 5, 2022 onwards, his PTSD symptoms were evaluated at 70 percent.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (APD), including PTSD, finding that the evidence did not show a link between the Veteran's current diagnosis and his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an incomplete investigation by VA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) regarding potential fraud in the service connection for PTSD. The TDIU issue is also being remanded as it is procedurally intertwined with the severance of service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder as secondary to his service-connected TBI, finding that the current disability is related to the TBI.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for his increased PTSD disability rating has been dismissed as the benefit sought (a June 13, 2020 effective date) has already been granted in a September 2024 decision.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of evidence.