Citation Nr: 20008137 Decision Date: 01/30/20 Archive Date: 01/30/20 DOCKET NO. 16-42 547 DATE: January 30, 2020 REMANDED Entitlement to a disability evaluation in excess of 50 percent for service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active duty service from March 1966 to January 1970. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from an August 2013 rating decision issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Newark, New Jersey. Entitlement to a disability evaluation in excess of 50 percent for service-connected PTSD is remanded. The Board sincerely regrets delaying this appeal, but further evidentiary development is necessary before the Veteran’s claim can be adjudicated on the merits. A new VA examination is warranted in this case. It has been over four years since the Veteran’s last examination regarding his service-connected PTSD in May 2015. He has since described to his providers a worsening of symptoms, such as increased nightmares and stress. See December 2015 Records from R. Martinez at Vet Center; March 2016 VA Mental Health Note. Thus, the Board finds that a new examination is warranted as it would provide evidence as to the current severity of the Veteran’s PTSD. Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400 (1997); Caffrey v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 377 (1994). As the case must be remanded, the Veteran’s updated VA treatment records, as well as his updated treatment records from the Bloomfield Vet Center, should be obtained. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain the Veteran’s VA treatment records, dated from August 2016 forward. 2. Obtain the Veteran’s treatment records from the Bloomfield Vet Center, dated from September 2016 forward. (Continued on the next page)   3. After completing the foregoing development, schedule the Veteran for an appropriate examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected PTSD. The examiner should provide a full description of the disability and report all signs and symptoms necessary for evaluating his disability under the rating criteria. The examiner must attempt to elicit information regarding the severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms. To the extent possible, the examiner should identify any symptoms and social and occupational impairment due to his service-connected PTSD alone. P.M. DILORENZO Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board S. Seserman The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential, and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.