Citation Nr: 21075174 Decision Date: 12/17/21 Archive Date: 12/17/21 DOCKET NO. 15-10 668 DATE: December 17, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 30 percent prior to May 12, 2015, in excess of 50 percent from May 12, 2015 to October 28, 2019 and in excess of 70 percent from October 28, 2019 and thereafter, for service-connected PTSD is remanded. Entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) prior to November 18, 2017 and since February 1, 2021 is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served active duty in the United States Army from July 1989 to January 1996. The Veteran's awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars, and the Kuwait Liberation Medal. In March 2019, the Veteran testified before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge at a Travel Board hearing. A copy of the transcript has been associated with the claims file. In March 2019, the Board remanded the appeal for further development. In May 2020, the Board issued a decision which denied the claims on appeal. The Veteran filed a timely appeal to the Court of Appeals for Veterans' Claims (Court). In a July 2021 Joint Motion for Remand, the parties agreed to remand the appeal to the Board for further development. 1. An initial rating in excess of 30 percent prior to May 12, 2015, in excess of 50 percent from May 12, 2015 to October 28, 2019 and in excess of 70 percent from October 28, 2019 and thereafter, for service-connected PTSD is remanded. The Veteran contends that his PTSD is such that a higher rating is warranted. The Veteran's last VA examination for his PTSD was in October 2019. The Veteran has asserted that the assessment of his PTSD severity has been inaccurate. There is insufficient medical evidence on file from which the Board can accurately determine the current severity of the Veteran's PTSD. A remand for a new examination to determine the current level of the Veteran's PTSD symptoms is necessary. See Weggenmann v. Brown, 5 Vet. App. 281 (1993). 2. A TDIU prior to November 18, 2017 and since February 1, 2021 is remanded. Because a decision on the rating of the Veteran's PTSD could significantly impact a decision on entitlement to a TDIU, the issue is inextricably intertwined. A remand of the claim for a TDIU is required. See Harris v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 180, 183 (1991) (holding that where a decision on one issue would have a "significant impact" upon another, and that impact in turn could render any appellate review on the other claim meaningless and a waste of judicial resources, the two claims are inextricably intertwined). The matters are REMANDED for the following action: Schedule the Veteran for a VA mental health examination with an appropriate examiner to determine the current severity of the service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder. All indicated studies, must be conducted, and all findings must be reported in detail. The claims file should be made available and reviewed by the examiner in conjunction with conducting the examination. The examiner should provide information as to whether the disability causes deficiencies in most of the areas of work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking and mood; or causes total social and occupational impairment. In making this determination, the examiner is asked to consider and discuss the Veteran's report of memory issues and his ability to perform activities of daily living. JENNIFER HWA Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board C. Ford 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.