PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new and material evidence. The cases are now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in the need for regular aid and attendance, which meets the criteria for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's PTSD diagnosis.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50% from May 31, 2017, to April 15, 2019. The rating was increased to 70% from April 16, 2019, to November 25, 2019, and then temporarily raised to 100% from November 26, 2019, to December 9, 2019. The appeal for higher ratings is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a disability rating greater than 50 percent for his bilateral hearing loss, and he is unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, effective November 5, 2018.,Compensable ratings for hyperpigmentation of the left arm, right arm, and upper back are denied.,There is no service connection granted on a presumptive basis (e.g., PACT Act, Agent Orange/Camp Lejeune).,The Veteran's appeal does not involve exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, Gulf War Syndrome, or any other specific exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to February 5, 2020 for the award of service connection for sleep apnea is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 17, 2020 for a 50% rating for PTSD is also denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to verify the Veteran's claimed stressors for PTSD. The Veteran is still eligible for service connection, but further development is needed to confirm these events occurred.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the claim for service connection for PTSD before a decision was made.

The Veteran's claim for Individual Unemployability was granted effective August 21, 2017. Her PTSD rating was increased to 70% from that date.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including anxiety and PTSD, GERD, hypothyroidism, joint pain, a low back condition, and neck sprain are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The VA will seek verification of the Veteran's in-service stressor events.

Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine is granted. A rating of 30 percent for headaches, effective as of August 28, 2018, is also granted. The claim for a higher rating for PTSD remains denied.

The Veteran's proposed reductions in ratings for posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia, major depressive disorder, and primary insomnia (psychiatric disorder) from 70 percent to 50 percent, and traumatic brain injury from 40 percent to noncompensable were dismissed as the January 2020 rating decision was a proposed action.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to May 16, 2012 for the grant of SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(1) based on the need for aid and attendance is dismissed. An initial 60 percent rating for seborrheic dermatitis is granted. A rating in excess of 50 percent for migraines is denied.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence for readjudicating the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claim is remanded due to incomplete service records and a need for VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error regarding verification of an in-service stressor involving the death of a parachutist at Fort Bragg in approximately the fall of 1996. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, will be reconsidered based on all evidence of record.

The Board has vacated the July 2023 decision and remanded the issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's appeal is being addressed due to a duty to assist error in obtaining a VA examination regarding his PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected due to aggravation during service. A 10 percent rating for her scar from ovarian cyst laparoscopies is also granted.