PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD is granted service connection. An initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 7, 2016 was denied. From September 7, 2016 to September 26, 2019, an initial 10% rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted. A higher than 50% rating for bilateral hearing loss after September 26, 2019 is denied.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits are granted effective September 1, 2004. The Board found the Veteran unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected PTSD prior to June 23, 2010.

The Board has found that further remand is necessary due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and its relationship to service-connected PTSD. The effective date for TDIU remains in dispute as it is inextricably intertwined with the issue of service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, MDD, and IBS with GERD render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's reported stressors and a need for further psychiatric evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient consideration of diagnoses and stressors, as well as secondary service connection based on medications used to treat psychiatric disorders. The VA will obtain additional medical records and provide new opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, ED, and GI disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate communication and need for a comprehensive psychiatric examination with someone present who knows the Veteran well.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from various facilities. The issues of an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and TDIU prior to January 4, 2018 are still on appeal.

The Veteran's anxiety and PTSD are currently rated at 30 percent, but he testified that his disability has worsened. The Board finds a new VA examination is needed to assess the severity of his acquired psychiatric disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran seeks service connection for OSA, including as secondary to his service-connected DM, PTSD, and/or a musculoskeletal disability.

The Veteran's mood disorder with depressive features and PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is currently rated at 50 percent, which meets the criteria for use of a breathing assistance device such as a CPAP machine.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the service connection for PTSD and Depressive Disorder, including the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and the Board has denied a higher rating. The appeal for TDIU is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding her employment status.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, a need for an additional VA examination, and the Veteran's reported in-service personal assault.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of PTSD, alcohol use disorder and insomnia as secondary to a service-connected disability. The Board found that there is no evidence linking these conditions to active duty service or any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been found to approximate occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50% disability rating effective November 30, 2016.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cognitive impairments are not due to his service-connected TBI, but rather are related to his already established service-connected PTSD and MDD. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a TBI and its residuals is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD due to military sexual trauma, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of PTSD is related to an in-service stressor.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a Statement of the Case regarding the issue of an earlier effective date for the grant of a 100 percent rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been rated at 30% prior to August 19, 2019. From August 19, 2019, and thereafter, the Veteran is granted a rating of 50%. The appeal for an increased rating for PTSD is denied.