PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, tinnitus, and TBI residuals have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran has a diagnosis of PTSD due to an in-service personal assault, his tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma, and there is credible supporting evidence of the claimed stressor.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 70 percent disabling from July 15, 2015 to July 23, 2018. The Board denied an increased disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD prior to July 23, 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and need for a new VA examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being reviewed again.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD and major depression was denied. The Board found that the severity, frequency, and duration of his symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment required for a 100% rating. However, he was granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities preventing him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that the most probative evidence is against a diagnosis of PTSD and instead found that his symptoms are best explained by his service-connected depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for chronic maxillary sinusitis was dismissed. The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder.

The Board has withdrawn the appeal for PTSD and remanded the issues of separate ratings for ulcerative colitis and GERD, as well as service connection for ingrown toenails.

The Veteran's PTSD is productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in the areas of work, family relations, and mood. It does not result in total social and occupational impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for COPD and PTSD, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Veteran's COPD is not presumed due to herbicide exposure, and the Board found insufficient evidence to link it to asbestos exposure. For PTSD, the Board determined that the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 70% rating or higher.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The claims for PTSD, low back disorder, and right knee disability are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on four different conditions were dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to issues with scheduling a VA examination for the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression. The Veteran will need to be rescheduled for an examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he has maintained substantial gainful employment throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% prior to March 13, 2020 and at 70% from that date. Service connection for low back and bilateral ankle disabilities has been granted.,A remand was ordered for the claim regarding a left knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with depression, tinnitus, prostate cancer residuals, bilateral hearing loss, and erectile dysfunction, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment for at least some portion of the relevant period. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms did not cause the level of impairment required for a disability rating higher than 30 percent during the period prior to October 26, 2020.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD prior to December 24, 2018 has been withdrawn. The claim for SMC at the housebound rate prior to December 24, 2018 is denied as the Veteran does not meet the criteria for permanent housebound status due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound due to his service-connected disabilities. The case is now pending for further development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as PTSD and major depressive disorder, is granted due to the evidence showing a current diagnosis related to his service.

The Veteran's initial 70 percent rating for PTSD has been granted, but the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating for individual unemployability (TDIU) is still pending and requires further review.