PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2026

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, effective July 24, 2024, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show an increase in severity of PTSD during the year prior to this date.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss were both denied as there is no evidence showing a compensable degree of hearing loss within the applicable presumptive period.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for PTSD with fluency disorder of stuttering and TBI with vertigo is denied, as the highest level of impairment based on objective evidence is 3. The appeal for service connection for right ear hearing loss is also denied due to lack of in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of December 8, 2015 for both TDIU and DEA eligibility. The Veteran is now eligible for these benefits as his service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, CAD, and Parkinson's disease, render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD with persistent depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder is denied. The Board found that there was no indication from the original February 1997 claim for compensation benefits that the Veteran intended to include benefits for other co-existing disabilities, including PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation during the period on appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death. The AOJ will obtain a new VA opinion on this matter.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 100 percent, the highest rating available, due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's request for an extension of time to file a Board Appeal from the November 27, 2024 rating decision granting service connection for PTSD was denied because it was not timely filed.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and ischemic heart disease disabilities precluded him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, granting his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is related to in-service stressors. Service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran was granted an initial 40 percent rating for BPH associated with PTSD and a 30 percent rating for dermatitis from October 23, 2025 onwards. Other issues were either denied or remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 50% disability rating, and the Board has granted an additional 20% (to a total of 70%) based on his symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD and Anxiety due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed stressors. The claims will be reconsidered with additional information provided by the Veteran.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, sleep apnea, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, and PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder as secondary to his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher level of special monthly compensation (SMC) was denied as he is already in receipt of the maximum SMC rate due to his service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease and PTSD/MDD at 60% or more.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from October 1, 2019, due to the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities. His claim for an increased rating for prostate cancer was dismissed as moot since he already receives a 100% disability rating.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD as there was no credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors occurred during service, and the Veteran's recent medical records do not support a diagnosis of PTSD related to service.