PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for PTSD and bipolar disorder due to insufficient evidence of current diagnoses or recent in-service stressors.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since June 29, 2006. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from that date.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent prior to May 15, 2018 and from February 1, 2019 onward. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right shoulder condition and left shoulder condition.

The Board has remanded both the cause of death and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation claims due to lack of a medical opinion addressing whether any service-connected conditions, including PTSD with alcohol dependence, were an immediate, aggravating, or underlying cause of death.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to reconsider the Veteran's earlier claims prior to January 1996 under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.156(c) with respect to VA's constructive receipt of service department records.

The Board denied the earlier effective date for service connection of cause of death due to lack of evidence, and the current effective date is October 15, 2015.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, the maximum schedular rating for this condition. The Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating and denied an increased disability rating in excess of 70 percent. For the TDIU claim, the Board granted entitlement to TDIU based on the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for schizophrenia, adjustment disorder, depression, and PTSD due to conflicting evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's effective date for adding his spouse and two children as dependents to his compensation award is denied because the required information was not provided within one year of notification.

The Board has remanded the claims for PTSD and skin disability due to exposure to herbicide agents, including obtaining additional VA records and a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bullous pemphigoid.

The Veteran was found to be unemployable due to his service-connected PTSD and alcohol use disorder prior to February 16, 2012. The Board granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for complex sleep apnea and tinnitus have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied, as his hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA's auditory acuity schedule. The Veteran's CAD remains at 60 percent disabling, with no evidence of chronic congestive heart failure or limited workload resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope. The claim for an effective date earlier than June 26, 2014 for the increased PTSD rating is denied due to lack of factual ascertainability.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for complex sleep apnea and tinnitus have been reopened due to new and material evidence. His hearing loss remains at a noncompensable rating as his pure tone thresholds do not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA's auditory acuity schedule. The Veteran's CAD is rated at 60 percent disabling, with no evidence of chronic congestive heart failure or limited workload resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope. The claim for an effective date earlier than June 26, 2014 for the increased PTSD rating is denied due to lack of factual ascertainability.

The Veteran was granted a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) effective January 5, 2012. Prior to that date, he had already been awarded a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The Veteran's claim is being returned for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, and diabetes, have been shown to preclude substantially gainful employment prior to January 22, 2016. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has granted the reopening of a claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The case is remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and attempt to verify any in-service stressors. A VA examination will be scheduled to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disabilities are related to active service.

The Veteran's initial rating for PTSD was granted at 100% effective January 8, 2018. The issue of service connection for cirrhosis of the liver secondary to PTSD is remanded due to reasonable doubt in its etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of substantial compliance with its previous remand directives. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, need further evaluation and opinion.

The appeal of the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety adjustment disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.