PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2000

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran does not have current disability from PTSD, and therefore, service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bipolar disorder as secondary to PTSD and an increased rating for PTSD prior to April 8, 1996.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's PTSD is service-connected, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and will now evaluate the veteran's TDIU claim. The veteran is already service-connected for generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board has determined that the claim of service connection for PTSD is well grounded, and therefore grants the claim based on direct evidence linking the condition to in-service events.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected PTSD was granted, with a 50 percent rating effective April 13, 1994.

The Board has determined that the claim of service connection for PTSD is well grounded and has been reopened. The veteran's headaches are rated at 30 percent, effective from November 9, 1994.

The Board found the claim for PTSD well grounded, but denied it due to lack of credible evidence supporting the claimed stressors. The claim for residuals of a right foot injury was not well grounded as there is no medical evidence linking any current disability to service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and entitlement to DIC benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, finding that there was no legal merit to these claims.

The veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder is productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a higher initial disability rating of 70 percent.

The veteran's PTSD has resulted in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100% evaluation. The claim for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is denied.

The veteran's claims were granted, with increased evaluations for PTSD and frostbite conditions. Service connection was established for duodenal ulcer.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and hepatitis B and C. The veteran's claim for hepatitis B was not well-grounded due to a lack of current clinical evidence, while his claim for hepatitis C was not related to service based on medical evidence. For PTSD, the RO is instructed to request information from the veteran about in-service stressors.

The veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD was incurred during his active military service, and therefore grants service connection for PTSD.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is well-grounded, but the preponderance of credible and probative evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Board found that the cause of death, coronary artery disease, was not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking it to service or service-connected conditions. The veteran's entitlement to dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 was also denied as he did not meet the statutory duration requirements for a total disability rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD in May 1984. The veteran did not seek to reopen his claim until October 23, 1997, when he submitted a VA Form 21-526 application for compensation or pension. In April 1998, the regional office granted service connection for PTSD and made the grant effective from October 23, 1997. The Board found that the effective date could not be earlier than October 23, 1997, as the veteran did not meet all eligibility criteria on the effective date of the addition of Diagnostic Code 9411 (PTSD).

The Board has determined that the claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD is well grounded, and the issue will be addressed further in the remand portion of the decision.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for PTSD, rheumatic fever, heart disease, and malaria are not well grounded as there is no competent medical evidence showing current diagnoses or a link to service.