PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD rating is being remanded due to the need for a new examination with updated findings.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of PTSD was granted, with a 70% rating effective October 22, 2012. The service connection for ischemic heart disease and the effect date for service connection were not addressed in this decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and unspecified anxiety disorder, is granted. The diagnoses are based on his reported stressors during the Vietnam war.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of various conditions, including memory loss, bilateral hearing loss, sinus disability, skin disability, and increased ratings for chronic lower back pain with degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, and chronic nonallergic rhinitis. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for a permanent and total disability rating for PTSD to qualify him for Dependents Educational Assistance under Chapter 35 is remanded due to the need for additional VA examination records and analysis.

This decision grants the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claim for reopening of a previously denied claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) is granted, based on new evidence indicating possible PTSD diagnosis. The claim for reopening of a previously denied claim for service connection for stomach disorder (claimed as GERD) is also granted, due to the presence of GERD diagnosis.

The Veteran's service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence supports a finding that he meets the clinical criteria for PTSD based on his reported combat experiences.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a 70 percent disability rating since May 1, 1999. From June 29, 2007, the Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to insufficient evidence and need for updated examinations.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for psychiatric disability, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety, has been dismissed as the Veteran requested its withdrawal in a July 2017 correspondence.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for PTSD and depression, as well as a low back disability. The Veteran needs to be provided with new examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to unclear notification of potential evidentiary sources for verifying an in-service personal assault, and the need for a VA psychiatric examination to clarify the diagnosis of any psychiatric disorder. Additionally, a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the low back disorder, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and seizure disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD and depression have been rated at 70 percent since July 31, 2012. The Board found that the symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as there is no total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has found that further development is necessary and the case is being remanded for consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone is of sufficient severity to produce unemployability from September 29, 2016, to April 12, 2018. However, there is not sufficient additional service-connected disability rated at 60 percent or more to warrant entitlement to special monthly compensation for this period.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for updated medical records, a more recent VA examination, and consideration of both schedular and extraschedular criteria.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The case is remanded for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's herpes and PTSD claims should be remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since April 9, 2015. The Board found that the symptoms of his PTSD meet the criteria for a 70 percent rating but not a higher one.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, and denied an initial compensable rating for headaches.