PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation since December 27, 2021. The appeal is remanded to determine if he was employed in any substantial gainful occupation prior to this date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis has been reopened, and he is now entitled to a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction. The issue of an earlier effective date for the assignment of a 70 percent rating for TBI and PTSD remains unresolved.,The Veteran's request for a higher rating for his TBI and PTSD was denied, and the case has been remanded for further review.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as moot because she has already been awarded a TDIU effective September 20, 2016. The Board also remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied for various conditions, including PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (including dementia), diabetes mellitus type II, prostate cancer, hypertension, a heart disorder (coronary artery disease, status post stent placement), a circulatory disorder, bilateral eye disorders (right eye blindness, double vision in the left eye, cataracts), lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, peripheral neuropathy of each extremity, radiculopathy of each extremity, and myelomalacia. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.,The Veteran's service connection claims were denied for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (including dementia), diabetes mellitus type II, prostate cancer, hypertension, a heart disorder (coronary artery disease, status post stent placement), a circulatory disorder, bilateral eye disorders (right eye blindness, double vision in the left eye, cataracts), lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, peripheral neuropathy of each extremity, radiculopathy of each extremity, and myelomalacia.

The Board has remanded the issue of an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent prior to January 5, 2015, for PTSD due to new and relevant evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal. The appeals for a higher rating for lumbar strain and degenerative spondylosis, as well as TDIU, are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed stressors and the relationship between his diagnosed psychiatric conditions and military service. The Veteran will be given an opportunity to provide additional information or evidence, and a VA examination will be scheduled to clarify these issues.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a 70% rating since May 31, 2016. He is also granted TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection. The Veteran's PTSD with MDD is granted a 50% rating prior to December 4, 2019 and a 70% rating thereafter. A TDIU determination is granted from August 30, 2021.

The Board has determined that the appellant should be considered as a substitute party for the Veteran's pending appeals, but more information is needed to make this determination. The appeal regarding service connection and recognition of M.U.H. as the child will also need to be addressed.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to October 30, 2017 was denied as the effective date of the grant of TDIU is October 30, 2017.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood) has been dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding these issues at his July 2022 Board hearing.

The Veteran's PTSD is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and adjudicating his TDIU claim. The AOJ will have an opportunity to consider the additional evidence in the first instance.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and remanded it for further development. The claims for service connection for a dental disability, reopening of hepatitis C claim, tinnitus rating, and hearing loss rating are also remanded.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, needs further development and will be remanded. The VA is required to schedule the Veteran for an examination to determine if his current acquired psychiatric disabilities are related to his time in service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU is being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records, a new examination, and consideration of private medical evidence.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of PTSD was granted. The issues of entitlement to increased disability ratings for headaches, left shoulder DJD and tendonitis, osteoarthritis and chondromalacia of the left knee, and osteoarthritis and chondromalacia of the right knee are remanded due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has remanded the case to obtain additional VA treatment records. The issue of TDIU is also being considered as part of this appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD; a low back condition, and a left leg disability. The Board found that there was no evidence of a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his PTSD, neurocognitive impairment disorder, and TDIU claims. The VA will obtain updated treatment records, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his diagnosed neurocognitive disorder, and provide an opinion on whether it is possible to distinguish the symptoms of his neurocognitive disorder from those of his PTSD.