Citation Nr: 21021670 Decision Date: 04/13/21 Archive Date: 04/13/21 DOCKET NO. 19-37 739 DATE: April 13, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for unspecified trauma-related disorder prior to January 15, 2021, and in excess of 50 percent thereafter is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from July 1965 to May 1967. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a December 2015 rating decision by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO), which granted the Veteran service connection for unspecified trauma-related disorder and assigned a noncompensable rating. September 2017, August 2018, and January 2021 rating decisions assigned a 30 percent rating prior to January 15, 2021, and 50 percent thereafter. The Veteran requested a hearing before the Board. See December 2019 VA Form 9. However, in October 2020, the Veteran’s representative submitted a statement to withdraw the hearing request. Accordingly, the Veteran’s hearing request is withdrawn. 38 C.F.R. § 20.702(d). In September 2018, the Board remanded the Veteran’s claims to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for further action consistent with the Board’s remand directives. Specifically, the Board remanded the claim to afford the Veteran a current VA examination and to update any outstanding treatment records. The claim is back before the Board for further appellate proceedings. The Board notes that, since the January 2021 supplemental statement of the case (SSOC), additional evidence relevant to the claim have been associated with the record, to include March 2021 VA treatment records. However, a subsequent SSOC has not been provided to the Veteran on the issue, and the Veteran has not waived AOJ review of the additional relevant evidence. As such, a remand is warranted in order to provide the Veteran with a SSOC. The Board also notes the Veteran’s disability appears to have worsened since his last examination. Indeed, mental health treatment records show that the Veteran is no longer able to live in his home because he feels “evil is living in the place.” See March 2021 VA treatment records. The last VA examination noted that the Veteran was currently living at home and did not report symptoms such as impaired judgment. Thus, a new examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran’s psychiatric disorder is warranted. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain any outstanding VA and/or private treatment records relevant to treatment the Veteran received for his unspecified trauma-related disorder that are not already of record. All obtained records should be associated with the evidentiary record. If any identified records are not obtainable (or none exist), the Veteran and his representative should be notified, and the record clearly documented. 2. After the above has been completed, schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate examiner to determine the current severity of his service-connected unspecified trauma-related disorder. The examiner should provide a full description of the disability and report all signs and symptoms necessary for evaluating the Veteran’s disability under the rating criteria. 3. After the above has been completed to the extent possible, readjudicate the claims. If any benefit sought remains denied, provide the Veteran and his representative with a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC), and return the case to the Board. DONNIE R. HACHEY Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board A. Strickland 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.