PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, as his PTSD is productive of a great degree of disability but does not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, indicating he no longer wished to pursue the claims for service connection or rating increases. The Board has dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation from November 30, 2009, through November 14, 2014. He also has diabetes which is rated at over 60 percent. Therefore, TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate are granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in obtaining VA and private treatment records prior to October 3, 2001. The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for his service connection of PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD was denied, and her TDIU claim was granted. The hypertension case is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to January 3, 2017 is denied as the earliest possible date for an award of TDIU based on the August 2020 application would be August 2019.

The Veteran's service connection for PTSD and related conditions (anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances) is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to service, and the cervical spine disorder is remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not prevent her from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to July 31, 2019.

The Veteran's PTSD disability picture was granted a 50 percent rating, effective prior to May 23, 2012. The decision also noted that the Veteran had occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol use disorder, mild, has been rated at 50 percent since June 2017. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an increased rating in excess of this level for any period on appeal.

The Veteran's appeals for an increased rating and earlier effective date for PTSD have been dismissed due to the appellant's request for withdrawal of her appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further action on issues including service connection for PTSD, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, kidney failure, and TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal regarding his initial disability evaluation and subsequent evaluations for service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to new evidence received after the April 2023 Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been granted a 100% disability rating, effective from November 4, 1994. The decision finds that the Veteran experienced severe impairment affecting all aspects of his life throughout the period on appeal.

The Veteran's request for a TDIU rating since October 23, 2014 is dismissed due to the combined 100% schedular disability rating. For the period before October 23, 2014, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's mental health conditions, including PTSD and alcohol use disorder, are granted as service-connected. His deep scars receive a 20% rating, his superficial scars remain non-compensable, and he is granted a separate evaluation for painful scars.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to service connection for various psychiatric conditions and the reopening of a claim for residuals of right eye injury due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no persuasive weight of evidence to support these claims.,The Board noted that while the Veteran reported in-service back pain and knee conditions, post-service medical records did not show development of these conditions within a year after service.

The Board has remanded both claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and bipolar disorder, and for special monthly compensation based on housebound status or the need of regular aid and attendance. The remand requires verification of the Veteran's claimed stressors.