PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 50% rating from March 5, 2014 to June 25, 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with associated alcohol use disorder, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is related to a stressor event during his Reserve service while stationed at Aviano Air Base in April 1999. The Board found reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran and concluded that he had met the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating and effective date for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a disability rating of 100 percent, but her symptoms more closely approximated those associated with a 70 percent rating.

The Veteran's PTSD has worsened, and there is a need for an updated VA examination to assess the current status of his condition. The Veteran also needs to provide VA Form 21-4142 for all private providers who have treated him for PTSD. Additionally, the AOJ must consider whether the Veteran is entitled to Total Disability rating based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the claims for increased rating for PTSD, service connection for a disability of the third finger of the right hand, and service connection for a right ankle condition. The case will be returned to the VA Regional Office for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions and verifying an in-service stressor related to PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD should be remanded due to incomplete development and compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and requests for private treatment records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and adjustment disorder is being reviewed.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as PTSD, MDD, and panic disorder, is related to active service. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD was initially granted with a 30% evaluation prior to April 18, 2019. Since then, the VA has increased his evaluation to 70%. The Board found that he now meets the criteria for a 70% evaluation as of April 18, 2019.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right knee disability and a higher rating for PTSD due to new evidence added since the last decision. The AOJ must consider this new evidence and properly adjudicate the claims.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70% effective March 20, 2018. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss remains at a Level I in the right ear and Level XI in the left ear prior to September 25, 2018, and Level VI in the right ear and Level XI in the left ear from September 25, 2018 onwards. Both issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to April 4, 2014 resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. From April 4, 2014, the criteria for TDIU were met due to combined effects of service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and adjustment disorder with mixed emotional reaction (claimed as depression), are denied. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and lumbar strain are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's psychiatric conditions and their relation to service. The Veteran needs a VA examination to clarify his in-service stressors, reconcile private and VA treatment records, and determine if any other acquired psychiatric disorders are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, shoulder injury, and diabetes prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation between December 20, 2002, and March 27, 2007. The Board granted Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) effective as of March 27, 2007.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, other than MDD/unspecified depressive disorder. The appeals for higher ratings for lumbar strain with degenerative lumbar disc disease, radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremity, and bronchitis and sleep apnea have also been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of April 3, 2008 for service connection of PTSD. The Board also denied the claim for earlier effective date than February 10, 2009 for basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

The Board has found that additional development is necessary to obtain missing VA Vet Center records and the Veteran's private treatment records. The claims for increased ratings for PTSD, TBI residuals, asthma, and TDIU are being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and breathing problems due to asbestos exposure are being remanded as new opinions are needed.,The Veteran's claim for allergic rhinitis is being remanded because his condition may have worsened since the last examination.,The Veteran's claim for right shoulder disability is being remanded due to insufficient evidence of increased severity over time.,Whether the character of the Veteran's discharge during December 1998 to October 2001 constitutes a bar to VA compensation benefits is being remanded as new opinions are needed regarding mental health issues and insanity.,The Veteran's claim for an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI, including weight changes, idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, spondylitis, autoimmune disease, and chronic fatigue, is being remanded due to the need for clarification of his medical records.,The Veteran's claim for periodic numbness of the lip and jaw (secondary to genioglossal advancement surgery) is being remanded as new opinions are needed regarding the nature and etiology of his condition.,The Veteran's claim for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is being remanded due to inextricability with the character of discharge issue.,The Veteran's claim for a deviated septum is being remanded due to inextricability with the character of discharge issue.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with other claims.