PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, has been reopened. The case is remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for PTSD, including evaluating prior to September 6, 2016 and on or after that date. The VA is instructed to obtain Social Security Administration disability benefit records related to the Veteran.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims and rating appeals due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the skin disorder, leaving only other issues regarding PTSD, ulcerative colitis, and severance pay.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is being remanded for a more detailed evaluation to consider the severity and frequency of his symptoms throughout the period on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral ankle disability and acquired psychiatric disability due to a lack of VA examination before death, requiring further medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease with diabetes mellitus type II, PTSD, nephropathy with hypertension, and other conditions, require the aid and attendance of another person. The Board has granted special monthly compensation at the R-1 rate.

The Veteran's TBI and PTSD were not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service.,The Veteran is not shown to have had a bilateral hearing loss disability of such severity to constitute a disability for VA compensation purposes.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric conditions, including PTSD and unspecified trauma stressor related disorder with other specified depressive disorder, are found to be service-connected as they are linked to his in-service experiences.

The Veteran's current PTSD and MDD are found to have resulted from his service in Somalia, during his period of honorable active duty. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, prostate cancer residuals, and lumbosacral strain prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment due to his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to duty-to-assist errors, including inadequate medical opinions and missing examination reports. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded as there are conflicting opinions regarding its relationship to his military service. Increased rating claims for left shoulder, right ankle, left ankle, and lumbosacral strain disabilities are also remanded due to incomplete examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his fear of hostile military activity during his deployment in Vietnam. The Veteran already had service-connected nightmares, but this decision addresses whether he also has PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding an earlier effective date for TDIU and service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to PTSD. The Veteran's earnings from August 2018 to May 2019 need to be verified, and a new medical opinion is required to address whether his obesity caused or aggravated his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's son is seeking accrued benefits for the purpose of reimbursing expenses related to his mother's last sickness and burial. The VA has granted service connection for PTSD, but did not address the spouse's funeral expenses in the initial decision. The Board finds a duty to assist error and remands for adjudication of the surviving spouse's application.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of a TDIU is denied as there was no service-connected disability prior to October 27, 2018. The rating decision that granted service connection for his bilateral knee TKAs effective October 27, 2018, became final.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU has been reopened and readjudicated due to new evidence. The PTSD rating remains at 50 percent prior to February 13, 2020.

The Board denied the claim for an increased rating for PTSD, as no timely Notice of Disagreement was filed with respect to the August 2016 initial denial. The March 2021 claim is not considered a supplemental claim due to its timing relative to the effective date of the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA).