PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, related to military sexual trauma (MST), is granted. The Board found sufficient evidence to support the Veteran's claims and determined that his current mental health disabilities are linked to his in-service MST.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to July 11, 2012 for service connection of PTSD with depressive disorder and migraine and post-coital headaches associated with TBI. The decision stated that no claim was filed within one year of separation from active duty.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his service-connected colon condition (benign polyps) is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s), prior to January 18, 2012, and from May 1, 2012, to February 7, 2017, is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 8, 2017, for the award of a 100 percent disability rating for service-connected PTSD has been denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder), and a low back disability due to lack of evidence showing in-service injury or disease.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD based on a verified in-service personal assault, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to this stressor.

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, MDD and anxiety is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination in determining service connection for a psychiatric disorder, specifically PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors and for a VA examination to assess his current psychiatric conditions.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was not incurred in service and is not caused by a service-connected disability. The Board found no evidence of an in-service incident or connection to service, and the medical opinions did not support a link between PTSD and sleep apnea.

The Board has decided that a new examination is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's PTSD, and remands the case for this purpose. The Veteran also requested an increase in his PTSD rating, but as no recent examination was conducted, a new one is required.

The Board has granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae (claimed as skin sensitivity) and remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, a right wrist laceration, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disability and right shoulder disability. The claims are now remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) on a secondary basis to diabetes, which is the Veteran's service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD prior to December 27, 2016 is denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an initial rating greater than 30 percent prior to this date. However, beginning December 27, 2016, a 70 percent rating is granted for PTSD. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral knee disability is also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has granted service connection for tinnitus as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claim of service connection for a left shoulder disability is remanded, while other issues are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical evidence regarding the nature of the Veteran's current psychiatric disorder and inadequate verification of stressor events in service. The Veteran needs to provide more details about his alleged stressors, and a new examination is required to determine if he has PTSD related to a verified event in service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service-connected PTSD and remands for further examination and treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD rendered him unemployable from July 28, 2010, forward.

The Veteran's TBI claim is being remanded for a new VA examination, as initial TBI examinations were not conducted by the required specialists. The TDIU claim remains pending.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression, is granted as service connected due to exposure to combat-related stressors during Survival Training in November 1964.