PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2024

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no substitution request was made within the required timeframe.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are consistent with the current 50 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective November 19, 2024. The claim for TDIU has been granted. The readjudication of the sleep apnea claim is not warranted.

The Board denied the appellant's eligibility for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in rating decisions dated May 19, 2021 and May 21, 2021. The decision found that while the appellant was eligible to receive direct payment of fees arising out of the grants of service connection for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and a 70 percent rating for persistent depressive disorder, she waived her entitlement to these fees.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and he was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective August 6, 2009. Basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) was also granted effective the same date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, diagnosed as depression and claimed as PTSD, is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional treatment records from his active duty period.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD resulted in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100 percent rating during the review period.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be caused by his service-connected PTSD, with obesity being an intermediate step in the multi-causal chain. As a result, the Board grants service connection for sleep apnea on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a higher initial rating of 70 percent.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD with insomnia was denied as the evidence did not establish a diagnosis of PTSD based on credible medical evidence prior to February 11, 2021.

The Veteran's PTSD with anxiety resulted in occupational and social impairment, warranting a 70 percent evaluation effective April 27, 2021.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's claim of recognition of his spouse K. P. for purposes of dependency compensation is dismissed as the AOJ has already granted service connection and assigned a rating for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to a withdrawal request from the appellant's authorized representative.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and depressive disorder have been granted service connection.,Service connection for PTSD has been denied, as the evidence does not support a diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with DSM-5 criteria. The Veteran's current symptoms do not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with MDD and AUD has been rated at 50 percent since April 23, 2020. The appeal for an increased rating is denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating based on the current symptoms.

The Veteran's GERD is granted at a 30 percent rating prior to March 20, 2020 and denied for higher ratings thereafter.,PTSD service connection is granted with an initial 70 percent evaluation effective April 21, 2021.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for PTSD and found that the Veteran's claim was not received within one year of the April 11, 2018, liberalizing VA administrative issue. The Board also denied presumptive service connection for IBS as a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). Service connection for tinea pedis was granted.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of a 50 percent disability rating for PTSD, but the Board finds that continuous pursuit of this claim did not commence until after the increased rating was granted in May 2022. Therefore, the appeal is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent from August 28, 2020 through December 28, 2021. The appeal for a higher rating remains pending.