PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for an etiology opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or contributed to his death.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, finding that the Veteran does not have a current disability of such disorder and there is no recent diagnosis prior to her filing of the claim.

The Veteran's appeal of the proposed reduction of PTSD from 70 percent to 50 percent is dismissed. The Veteran is granted entitlement to a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further adjudication regarding his claim for a higher initial rating for PTSD prior to September 14, 2011, and for an effective date prior to that date for the grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for PTSD was granted, and the effective date of this award is set at February 25, 2020.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, specifically his unspecified depressive disorder and anxiety disorder. The VA examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion addressing these matters.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, low back pain, hip pain, gait instability, and cognitive impairment, require the need for aid and assistance. The Board found that she is housebound due to her service-connected disabilities and granted SMC based on both the need for aid and attendance and housebound status.

The Veteran's TDIU rating is granted with an effective date of May 29, 2017, based on his service-connected PTSD and alcohol use disorder.

The Board has remanded several claims for increased ratings and service connection due to duty-to-assist errors, including obtaining private treatment records and VA examinations.

The Veteran's chronic adjustment disorder is granted a 70 percent disability rating from October 1, 2018 to May 21, 2021. Service connection for PTSD was denied in the February 2019 Rating Decision.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is rated at 70 percent, which is the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 9411. The left lower extremity scars are not compensable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is directly related to service and grants entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD and TBI were granted prior to May 31, 2022. However, the rating for PTSD was denied on and after that date, while other issues like migraines and TDIU are still under review.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent effective May 29, 2019. This decision grants an increased rating for PTSD.

The Board denied eligibility for attorney's fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a January 2023 Rating Decision, as the decision was not issued following a request for higher-level review or an increased rating claim form.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for PTSD because there was no diagnosis of PTSD and insufficient information to verify a claimed stressor. The benefit of the doubt doctrine is not applicable.

The Board has granted a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD, effective June 11, 2020, based on the factually ascertainable increase in psychiatric symptoms since June 25, 2019.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and schizophrenia, is granted as secondary to an in-service personal assault.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD with secondary major depressive disorder based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a July 2017 rating decision. The AOJ failed to address the CUE contentions in the first instance, necessitating remand.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 70 percent, as they are considered mild or transient and do not result in total occupational and social impairment.