PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and depression have been reopened, but the Board has remanded the issues of service connection for these conditions due to new evidence received since the last final denial.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, and also challenges the May 2008 rating decision denying this claim. The Board has determined that these issues are inextricably intertwined and cannot be adjudicated without addressing both.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as of January 14, 2009 due to his service-connected PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent prior to February 7, 2017 and at 70 percent since then. The Board denied a higher rating for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for his back disability and PTSD due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, is rated at 70 percent for the entire period on appeal.

The Veteran's PTSD and related symptoms, including anxiety and depression, were initially rated at 50 percent from June 1969 to September 2004. A higher rating of 70 percent is granted for the PTSD and related symptoms since September 2004.

The Veteran's PTSD was previously rated at 50 percent and the Board is remanding both his claim for an increased rating and his TDIU claim due to insufficient reasons or bases in denying these claims.

The Veteran's PTSD with a depressive disorder not otherwise specified is rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant an increase to higher ratings. The appeal for service connection of sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD was also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records. The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder with major depression is being evaluated again as her symptoms have worsened. Additionally, the claim of service connection for fibromyalgia secondary to PTSD/Depression needs to be adjudicated before addressing individual unemployability.

The Veteran is precluded from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected PTSD.,The statutory requirements for SMC at the housebound rate prior to August 8, 2017 have been met.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, to include adjustment disorder with depressed mood as due to his service-connected low back and associated disabilities. The decision is based on the evidence showing that the current psychiatric symptoms are at least as likely as not related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right knee disability, left knee disability, and right hip disability due to inadequate examinations and lack of consideration of lay statements regarding in-service exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the current severity of the Veteran's PTSD. The Veteran is currently rated at 70 percent for PTSD, and the Board requests updated treatment records and a VA examination to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sacroiliac osteoarthritis, DDD of the cervical spine, and headaches due to new evidence. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent but no higher. TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol abuse is rated at 70 percent effective April 1, 2016. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted effective April 13, 2016.

The Board has remanded three issues: service connection for a low back disorder, service connection for a neuropsychiatric disorder to include PTSD, and service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder claimed as acid reflux. The Veteran must be provided with VA examinations to determine the etiology of these conditions, particularly in relation to his active duty service and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD because the Veteran's claimed stressor of a remote possibility of deployment to the front lines of Operation Desert Storm does not meet the criteria for a valid PTSD diagnosis.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 are denied as he did not meet the criteria for entitlement to these benefits.

The Veteran's service connection for PTSD is granted as his current diagnosis of PTSD was caused by in-service combat-related stressors.