PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for compensable ratings for right and left knee surgical scars have been withdrawn.,The Veteran is already in receipt of the maximum rating (60%) available under the law for residuals of his total knee replacements.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA examination and failure to consider all relevant evidence. The Veteran is seeking service connection for PTSD, which was diagnosed in April 2014. A VA examination is required to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorder(s).

The Veteran's PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder has been rated at a 70 percent disability rating since October 8, 2021. The decision grants an initial 70 percent disability rating for PTSD.

The reduction in the evaluation of service-connected PTSD from 50 to 30 percent was improper, and restoration of the 50 percent rating is granted. The entitlement to a higher rating for PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment since December 28, 2020, and the Board finds that he is entitled to a TDIU effective from that date.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for PTSD with bipolar disorder and substance abuse disorder was granted, effective September 5, 2024. The decision also denied a request for an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective June 17, 2010. The appeal for TDIU remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for a 70 percent evaluation for service-connected PTSD is granted, effective April 5, 2021.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of PTSD was granted with an effective date of May 29, 2002. The decision is based on newly received service records that were not available at the time of the original denial in 2002.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA claims were denied as he did not meet the criteria for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability or eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance prior to July 19, 2019.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of July 5, 2023 for the grant of service connection for PTSD is granted. The Veteran's initial disability rating for PTSD remains at 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, and will need to schedule an examination for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's cause of death is being remanded due to the VA not having obtained his private treatment records from M.F. Hospital, which may contain information about his psychiatric condition prior to his death.

The Veteran's claim for travel reimbursement was granted as he met the eligibility criteria and provided timely documentation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no credible evidence of a stressor during service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, cardiomyopathy, HTN, and right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis were all denied due to lack of in-service injury or event.,There was no indication that the Veteran participated in toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) as he did not meet the requirements for a Persian Gulf War veteran. The STRs could not be located, and further efforts would have been futile.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound due to service-connected disabilities was denied as he does not meet the criteria for SMC under VA regulations.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 70% effective October 15, 2025. The Board found that the Veteran became unemployable due to his service-connected PTSD as of September 5, 2025.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), finding that obesity, caused by PTSD, is the intermediary step between the two conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder, panic disorder, subclinical PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder with anxious distress, as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent from April 7, 2024, to April 6, 2025. He also received a TDIU for the entire period on appeal.