Citation Nr: 21016022 Decision Date: 03/19/21 Archive Date: 03/19/21 DOCKET NO. 17-17 696 DATE: March 19, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 50 percent for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is remanded. Entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Army from July 1966 to February 1989. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal of a March 2017 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). The Veteran testified at a March 2020 Travel Board hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge; a transcript has been associated with the claims file. In July 2010, the Veteran was granted service connection for PTSD at 30 percent disabling with an effective date of July 14, 2008. In a July 2011 rating decision, the rating for PTSD was increased to 50 percent. In August 2013, the Veteran submitted a claim for an increased rating for his PTSD as well as a claim for TDIU. The current combined evaluation of his service-connected disabilities is 90 percent. In June 2020, the Board remanded these matters for a new PTSD VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran’s PTSD and to provide an opinion on his PTSD’s impact on his occupational functioning. To that end, the Board also directed further development with respect the Veteran’s employment history. 1. Entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is remanded. During the March 2020 Board hearing, the Veteran testified that his PTSD symptoms had worsened since his last evaluation. The Veteran was afforded a new PTSD examination on June 22, 2020. The examiner reviewed the Veteran’s claim file and interviewed the Veteran via a telehealth appointment. However, the examiner did not have access to the Veteran’s employment records. The Veteran’s employment records were associated with the claims file after the PTSD examination. The Board finds that these records are relevant to the claim as the Veteran contends that he was medically retired from his job due to symptoms of PTSD. See June 23, 2020 Correspondence. Whereas, the examiner stated that he retired for longevity reasons. See June 2020 VA PTSD Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ), Section II – Clinical Findings, No. 2 Recent History. The Veteran’s lay statement, dated in June 2020, also indicates a statement of hopelessness remarking, “[s]ometimes I wonder why I am still here, and for what.” See June 23, 2020 Correspondence. Because the June 2020 examiner did not have access to the relevant employment records, and lay statement regarding the current severity of symptoms, the Board finds that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion that addresses the reason for the Veteran’s retirement and Veteran’s lay statements related to symptoms. 2. Entitlement to TDIU is remanded. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is part and parcel to the issue of entitlement to disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, and as such cannot be adjudicated prior to additional development of the PTSD claim. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: Obtain an addendum examination to determine the nature and severity of the Veteran’s PTSD that addresses the Veteran’s lay statements regarding the frequency and severity of his PTSD symptoms. The examiner is asked to specifically discuss the occupational impairment of the Veteran’s PTSD symptoms, to include consideration of his newly received employment records. The need for a new examination is left to the discretion of the examiner. The examiner is asked to provide a rationale for any opinions rendered. H.M. WALKER Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board K. McKenzie, Associate Counsel 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.