PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is linked to military sexual trauma, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially and materially to his cause of death, end-stage cardiac disease. The decision is in favor of granting service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions are related to his service. The Veteran needs a new examination to determine if any diagnosed disorders, including depression and PTSD, are at least as likely as not caused by in-service stressors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection, increased rating, and TDIU are remanded due to incomplete medical records and need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claim for a TDIU rating prior to June 9, 2009, is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a review by the AOJ.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and an increased rating for his left shoulder disability due to incomplete information regarding the claimed stressors. The Veteran is diagnosed with PTSD based on two in-service stressors, but the date range for one of them could not be verified. For the left shoulder disability, a new examination is required as the previous VA examination did not provide adequate testing and failed to consider whether the condition flares up.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to his active service or his service-connected PTSD, and thus remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted from December 27, 1998. The original denial in May 2001 was due to a clear and unmistakable error (CUE) as the evidence at that time supported her diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not render him incapable of performing daily activities or require regular aid and attendance. The Board denied SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70% rating from July 3, 2008 to February 18, 2015. The lumbar spine disability received a 20% rating from October 14, 2010 to March 21, 2017.

The Veteran's PTSD and persistent depressive disorder are rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that they warrant a higher 70 percent rating due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, judgment, thinking, and mood.

The Veteran's appeal for PTSD was dismissed. The claim for reopening and service connection for cervical spine disability is granted, with a 40% rating effective from February 4, 2011. Service connection for other conditions (numbness in both hands, numbness in left fingers, numbness in right fingers, carpal tunnel syndrome of bilateral wrists, migraine headaches) was denied. The claim for service connection for Scheuermann's Kyphosis of Dorsolumbar Spine is granted with an effective date from February 4, 2011.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a headache disorder is granted. The effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus is set at June 27, 2014. The Veteran’s bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, hallux valgus, right 4th proximal phalanx fracture with bony exostosis is granted an increased rating effective from the date of his claim (June 27, 2014).

The Board has found conflicting medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric conditions, and thus remands for further examination to clarify the diagnoses and determine their etiology.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for PTSD with major depression has been dismissed as the appeal is not properly before the Board due to the full grant of service connection and no further case or controversy exists.

The Veteran's PTSD is being remanded for a new examination to assess the current severity of his disability, and for additional development related to his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to be of sufficient severity to prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent prior to January 20, 2017 and 50 percent thereafter. The Veteran's hallux valgus of the left great toe and calluses of both feet are each rated at 20 percent.,PTSD with an alcohol use disorder and a substance use disorder is not rated higher than 70 percent.

The Veteran's appeal of the increased rating for his service-connected PTSD was deemed timely, and the case is now remanded to reassess the severity of his PTSD.