PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise that the Veteran experienced verified in-service stressors and that those stressors are etiologically related to his current PTSD diagnosis.

The Veteran's PTSD was found to be manifested by symptoms consistent with occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The RO denied entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD prior to December 13, 2018, and denied entitlement to a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD since December 13, 2018.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been dismissed.,Service connection for Peripheral Arterial Disease and Vascular Disease is denied due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to his period of active service, including exposure to herbicides.,Service connection for Above the Knee Amputation of the Left Leg (secondary to vascular disease) is denied as there is no direct evidence linking the condition to his period of service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, vision loss, stroke residuals, and PTSD, have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since October 24, 2014. The Board has granted the TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is necessary due to the Veteran's failure to report for a scheduled examination and because of conflicting opinions in the record. The claim will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been denied as the VA examiner found no current diagnosis of PTSD.,Service connection for bilateral knee and ankle disabilities is remanded due to a lack of a VA examination addressing these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his claimed psychiatric disorder, specifically whether it was incurred during active duty.

The Veteran withdrew his claim of service connection for PTSD during a hearing, resulting in the dismissal of this issue.

The Veteran's PTSD and Tourette’s Syndrome are rated, but the appeal for sleep apnea and weight gain disability is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death and also denied accrued benefits for a helpless child. The Board found that there was no evidence to support the claims.

The Veteran's PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder is currently rated at 70 percent, but he believes it should be higher. The Board has ordered a new VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and remanded for consideration of TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine condition and PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including depression and PTSD, were not caused by service. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that an in-service event caused the current psychiatric disorders.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, specifically PTSD and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, finding that there is no current diagnosis of PTSD based on DSM-5 criteria. The Board also found that any non-PTSD psychiatric disorders are not related to service.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the claim of service connection for sleep apnea, as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's contentions and the evidence of record suggest a possible relationship between his sleep apnea and his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, and thus denied reopening of the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD with sleep disorder and alcoholism was denied due to lack of verified in-service stressors. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim. Service connection for hypertension was granted, but the low back disorder issue is remanded.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a right knee disability based on new and material evidence. However, further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's current right knee condition is related to his military service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied because his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, as they are caused by nonservice-connected conditions such as COPD and emphysema.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since February 14, 2018. The claim for TDIU is granted and effective from the date of the original service connection award (December 2011).