PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has determined that a VA medical opinion is necessary to determine if the Veteran's death was related to service. The appellant provided lay statements and testimony regarding her husband's condition, but no autopsy report or other relevant medical records have been obtained.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, and it will be reviewed again with consideration of this additional information.

The claim has been reopened and granted, but the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD) is remanded due to outstanding records and need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his claimed stressors.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD from June 25, 2007 was denied. The Board also granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis from the same date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD and for TDIU due to ongoing treatment records being needed. The Veteran is also seeking a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's cause of death was not due to a service-connected disability, and his service-connected conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to cause death. The appeal for higher rate of payment of NSC death pension benefits is remanded.

The Veteran's eye disability claim is denied as there is no diagnosed condition related to service.,The Veteran's back, feet, and face skin conditions are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding their etiology.,The Veteran's sleep apnea claim is remanded for a medical opinion on its etiology.,The Veteran's cellulitis of the left thigh claim is remanded for clarification of whether it constitutes a current disability or if it is only pain.,The Veteran's thyroid disorder claim is remanded to determine when the condition manifested and whether service aggravated it.,The Veteran's PTSD claim is remanded for further medical opinion on its etiology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD was denied. The secondary service connection claim for depression due to service-connected scars from breast reduction surgery was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July 14, 2016, for the award of Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is denied. The criteria for an earlier effective date are not met as the Veteran did not meet the schedular or extraschedular TDIU criteria prior to July 14, 2016.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for high cholesterol is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a disability for VA compensation purposes.,The Board has remanded claims for service connection for fatigue, low back, joint pain, and skin disabilities due to insufficient evidence of their etiology in relation to service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, but the evidence does not show that his disability warrants a higher rating.

The appeal for service connection of hemorrhoids, heart condition, sinusitis, and urethritis is dismissed. The appeals to reopen claims for low back injury, neurological damage due to a back injury, residuals of head injury, and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, depression, anxiety) are granted.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses from a non-VA hospital is granted as the claim was filed within two years of the care and meets the criteria under 38 U.S.C. § 1728.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent effective April 15, 2008. The decision also granted a TDIU based on the service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder was reopened and granted. His headaches, caused by PTSD, are now rated at 50 percent effective September 1, 2010. The Veteran's PTSD is also rated at 70 percent effective September 1, 2010.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for malaria was denied as the new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,Service connection for hypertension was denied because there is no evidence that it began during or within one year after service and there is no link between current hypertension and service.

The Veteran's PTSD rating is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess current severity.

The Veteran's facial scars have been rated as noncompensable due to the absence of characteristics of disfigurement or pain. The Board has found that the preponderance of evidence does not support a higher rating.,Several service connection claims for various disabilities are being remanded, including cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, left hip disability, sleep disorder (including sleep apnea), GERD, erectile dysfunction, headaches, neurological disabilities of the buttocks and lower extremities, chronic pain, and acquired psychiatric disorders.