PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for PTSD is granted, and he is now entitled to service connection for PTSD. His bilateral foot pain is also found to be incurred during service. The Veteran's TBI remains in dispute due to outstanding medical records.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a low back disability, coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus secondary to CAD, chronic fatigue and joint pain due to an undiagnosed illness, sleep apnea secondary to PTSD, and total disability based on individual unemployability.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and no service connection was granted or denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasons and bases in addressing whether the Veteran is entitled to higher ratings for his PTSD and bilateral dry eye syndrome, as well as failing to discuss the adequacy of VA examination reports. The Board must make reasonable efforts to obtain any outstanding treatment records from St. Augustine CBOC.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted. The remaining claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for further development regarding ionizing radiation exposure and herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, but no higher, during the appeal period. The symptoms include depression, anxiety, irritability, anger, nightmares, chronic sleep impairment, intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, hypervigilance, avoidant behavior, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, disturbances of motivation and mood, and passive suicidal ideation.

A rating of 70 percent for PTSD prior to March 1, 2019 is granted. A rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine as of July 18, 2016, and prior to September 22, 2016, is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and Depression are being remanded due to insufficient evidence of in-service stressors. The claim for sleep apnea is also being remanded.,A VA examination will be conducted to confirm the diagnoses and determine if there is a link between current conditions and service.

The Veteran's PTSD is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition, and for further development regarding TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been remanded due to the need for a VA examination and etiology opinion. The request to reopen the claim was granted.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, should be remanded for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding secondary service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and major depressive disorder. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied a higher rating for PTSD prior to June 20, 2019, but granted service connection and remanded the issue of TBI with PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his PTSD was dismissed because he requested to withdraw the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection. The compensable ratings for erectile dysfunction and difficulty chewing/swallowing are denied, but a noncompensable rating is assigned due to the Veteran's Parkinson's disease. Service connection for PTSD is granted with an initial 10 percent rating.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further evaluation due to insufficient evidence and need for updated treatment records, as well as for a new examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's right knee disability and PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to September 11, 2021 did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 70 percent. The Board found that his symptoms more closely approximated those associated with a 70 percent rating and resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety disorder, PTSD, CAD, bilateral hearing loss, DMII, and neuropathy have been reopened. Service connection is granted for an acquired psychiatric disability including as due to nerve or mustard gas exposure (anxiety disorder and PTSD). However, service connection is denied for coronary artery disease, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type 2, and neuropathy.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability other than PTSD, finding no current diagnosis of such condition and noting that the Veteran's depressive symptoms are subsumed within his PTSD diagnosis.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for PTSD and a TDIU prior to August 21, 2014, on an extraschedular basis are being remanded due to the need for updated evidence and examination. The Board will schedule an updated VA examination for PTSD and refer the TDIU claim to the Director, Compensation Service.