PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, and a left knee disability, preclude him from securing or maintaining gainful employment. As such, the criteria for a TDIU have been met.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, low back disability, left hip and leg disabilities, headaches, right foot disability, and left foot disability. The decision also addressed whether new and material evidence had been received to reopen previously denied claims for right and left foot disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and his acquired psychiatric disorder is not service-connected. The evidence does not support a finding of secondary service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent disabling, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent prior to January 15, 2016 and increased to 70 percent from that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current sleep disorder or vestibular disorder related to service, and thus denied his claims for these conditions.,There is no evidence of a current vestibular disorder from within one year of separation from service. The examiner opined that the Veteran's vestibular disorder was not caused by service-connected diabetes mellitus or PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since June 2, 2005. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's symptoms do not render him unemployable and assigned a GAF score of 60.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, conducting a PTSD examination to assess the severity of his service-connected condition, and addressing other psychiatric diagnoses. The TDIU claim remains inextricably intertwined with the increased evaluation claim for ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, the minimum rating for a disability of this type. The evidence does not support an increase in his disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since June 19, 2012. The symptoms have most nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, bilateral knee disabilities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, especially in combination, are of a nature and severity as to preclude him from engaging in work. The Board finds that the criteria for TDIU have been met.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to conflicting diagnoses and a need for an addendum opinion from the March 2016 VA examiner.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of sleep apnea and an increased rating for PTSD is being remanded due to inadequate opinions in the April 2016 VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for depression and anxiety, finding new and material evidence. The Board also found that her acquired psychiatric disorder is etiologically related to her active duty military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is not rated higher than 50 percent, and he does not have a service-connected left or right leg disability. The Board found no evidence of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining relevant medical records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is pending.

The Veteran's mental disorders have been rated based on their severity, with a 50 percent rating prior to June 27, 2008 and a 70 percent rating thereafter. The claims for service connection for a headache disorder and heart disorder were denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, and his claim for an earlier effective date for schizophrenia was granted. The effective date for the schizophrenia claim is set to November 29, 2007.