PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2000

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of evidence regarding the veteran's claimed stressful experiences during military service, and the need for additional information from various sources.

The Board dismissed the matter due to lack of jurisdiction, as the Court held that eligibility for direct payment of a withheld contingency fee under 38 U.S.C.A. § 5904(d) must be addressed by the RO first.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is service-connected as it stems from his combat experiences during World War II.

The veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder is rated at 100 percent, effective August 30, 1996. The right epididymitis has not been shown to be active and thus does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is service-connected as it was incurred during his active military service.

The VA has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 10 percent rating, effective from August 31, 1998. The veteran's PTSD is currently manifested by symptoms such as avoidance of thoughts associated with Vietnam, estrangement from some family members, feelings of detachment, startle reaction, hypervigilance, difficulty maintaining employment, nightmares of combat, sleep interruption and unjustified rage and anger.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying in-service stressors.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD was not incurred in service and denied his claim.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a psychiatric disability other than PTSD, as well as his claim of entitlement to an increased evaluation for traumatic arthritis at the metatarsophalangeal joint of the right great toe. The issues related to PTSD are no longer before the Board due to the veteran withdrawing his appeal.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD, an eye disability, and hearing loss of the left ear due to a lack of competent medical evidence showing current disabilities.

The veteran's appeal is about the assignment of a higher disability evaluation for his PTSD, which is currently rated at 50 percent. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and conduct a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, sinusitis, hearing loss in the right ear, and loss of teeth due to trauma. The evidence did not support these claims.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his post-traumatic stress disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining records from SSA and conducting a psychiatric examination.

The veteran's claim for service connection for disabilities resulting from exposure to Agent Orange is denied. The Board found that the January 1993 decision denying entitlement to service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder did not involve clear and unmistakable error, and thus the grant of service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder could not precede this decision. The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder is denied as it follows from the January 1993 Board decision. The veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder is also denied.

The Board has granted the veteran's service connection for PTSD, evaluating it at a 10% disability rating. The effective date is September 30, 1998.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, alcohol abuse, a personality disorder, degenerative joint disease of the back, skin cancer of the arms and shoulders, partial removal of the liver and intestines, urinary bladder disorder, gall bladder disorder, prostate disorder, gunshot wound of the left hand and left ankle, and residuals of fractures of the ribs. The Board found that there was no confirmed diagnosis of a personality disorder in the record.

The veteran's PTSD is granted as incurred in service due to his combat experience. Bilateral hearing loss and shoulder degenerative joint disease are not addressed, as the evidence does not provide a clear link between these conditions and service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for post-traumatic stress disorder and a hordeolum of the right eye, finding that the current disability ratings adequately reflected his symptoms.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% due to significant impairment in social and occupational functioning, but the other conditions are not service-connected.

The VA has determined that the veteran's PTSD does not meet the criteria for a higher disability evaluation, as it is only mildly impairing and does not significantly affect his ability to work or socialize.