PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2000

The veteran's PTSD is manifested by occasional suicidal and homicidal ideation and demonstrated inability to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment, warranting a 100 percent evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 30 percent disability rating, which is appropriate given his symptoms and impairment levels.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is denied as there is no competent medical evidence of record relating a current psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD, to service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is not well grounded, as there was no medical evidence of a diagnosed service-connected disability.

The VA denied a higher evaluation for the veteran's PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 50 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is related to his military service and has assigned a 50% evaluation effective June 5, 1995.

The Board has determined that the claim for service connection for the cause of death is not well grounded, and therefore there is no statutory duty to assist in developing facts pertinent to this claim.

The Board has granted the veteran a 50 percent evaluation for his service-connected PTSD, finding that it produces occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The veteran's service-connected conditions do not warrant an evaluation in excess of the current ratings, and his disabilities are sufficient to render him unemployable.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, right ear hearing loss, rupture of an ear drum, and laceration of the right eye are not well grounded. The RO is instructed to attempt verification of the veteran's claimed in-service stressors.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including post-traumatic stress disorder and a gastrointestinal disability due to exposure to Agent Orange during service are not well grounded. Therefore, the claims must be denied.

The veteran's PTSD results in disability analogous to (but no greater than) findings of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short and long term memory; impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships. The veteran's PTSD symptomatology resulted in moderate impairment overall.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to a lack of verified in-service stressors and failure to engage in combat with the enemy. The diagnosis of PTSD is based on current medical evidence, but there is no credible supporting evidence that the claimed stressor(s) actually occurred.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disorder and PTSD are not well grounded, as there is insufficient evidence to support the assertions of exposure to Agent Orange or credible supporting evidence for the claimed in-service stressors.

The veteran's appeal is for a higher rating for his service-connected PTSD. The RO granted the initial service connection and increased the disability rating from 30% to 50%. However, the veteran contends that his symptoms are more severe than reflected by the current rating.

The veteran's appeal regarding the evaluation of his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been dismissed as he submitted a written withdrawal of the appeal in September 2000.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder is denied as there was no evidence submitted prior to November 7, 1996 that could be interpreted as a new claim.

The veteran's effective date for a 50% evaluation of PTSD with an anxiety disorder and depression is set at June 16, 1997 due to the worsening symptoms since his initial diagnosis in 1997.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and therefore, his claim for service connection is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of a back injury, a neck disability, and post-traumatic stress disorder are not well-grounded due to lack of medical evidence showing these conditions are related to his military service.