PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and development of records.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and effective dates have been withdrawn. The Board has dismissed all the issues related to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's disability rating for PTSD with MDD was restored to 100% effective January 1, 2019, as the evidence showed actual improvement in her condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The PTSD rating remains at 70 percent, but an earlier effective date of February 8, 2021 for TDIU and DEA benefits is granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for chronic adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression and posttraumatic stress disorder is granted, with an evaluation of 50 percent effective December 5, 2019.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation, as they were considered to be at least equivalent to a 50% disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's PTSD diagnosis and its relationship to service. The VA will need to provide a medical examination and opinion on these issues.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including the need for VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or housebound status was denied because he does not meet the criteria for SMC due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board found that the Veteran is not permanently housebound or in need of regular aid and assistance as a result of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in duty to assist, including failing to obtain complete military personnel records and relevant non-VA medical records. The private medical opinion linking PTSD and dementia to service is deemed inadequate.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial disability rating for PTSD and an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for PTSD is dismissed due to it being a concurrent election prohibited under VA regulations.

The Board has awarded Attorney J.D. and Agent J.P. half of the past-due benefits ($2,045.12) from the September 2019 rating decision for service connection granted on the merits.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD was denied, and his initial disability rating for PTSD was also denied. The Veteran received a 70% disability rating for PTSD in the August 2022 decision.

The Board has determined that the Appellant's character of discharge is a bar to VA benefits, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) is remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for PTSD, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, chronic headaches, and urinary frequency. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was granted with an initial 70% rating on December 12, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for TDIU, Dependents' Educational Assistance, and an increased PTSD rating are denied.,An effective date prior to January 31, 2019, is not warranted for the grant of a TDIU or Dependents' Educational Assistance. The Board found that a TDIU was not factually ascertainable within one year prior to the Veteran's claim on January 31, 2019.

The July 16, 1996 rating decision was revised to grant service connection for schizophrenia. The appeal regarding PTSD and alcoholism is granted based on new evidence that reopened the claim.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of sleep apnea and PTSD as untimely, due to failure to file a timely Notice of Disagreement within one year from the date of the June 15, 2020 decision.