PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2000

The Board found that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and PTSD were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of a psychosis present during service or within one year post-service. The veteran's stressors did not meet the criteria for being a life-threatening traumatic event.

The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and there is no credible supporting evidence of verified stressors related to his wartime experiences. Therefore, service connection for PTSD was denied.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed post-traumatic stress disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service and denied the claim.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD was granted an increased evaluation to 70 percent, effective from August 1998.

The veteran's PTSD is found to be linked to his military service in Vietnam, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for hypertension as secondary to PTSD.

The VA has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent disability rating, which is the maximum available under current regulations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD was incurred in active military service and granted entitlement to service connection.

The veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder is rated at 100 percent effective October 24, 1997. The initial evaluations for right and left knee injuries remain at 10 percent.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and hearing loss, finding that there is competent medical evidence of a current disability, an in-service occurrence or aggravation, and a nexus between the conditions. The claim for increased rating for hepatitis remains noncompensable as no new evidence was provided to reopen it.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not warrant such an increase.

The Board granted an increased rating for pyoderma and awarded an earlier effective date for PTSD, finding that the veteran's claims were well-grounded and that he had a valid claim for service connection for PTSD prior to February 14, 1996.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records and conducting examinations to assess the severity of his PTSD and melioidosis.

The Board denied a request for an effective date prior to April 24, 1995 for a grant of a 100 percent disability evaluation for PTSD.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a psychiatric examination.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, effective from August 1997. The VA granted service connection for PTSD and assigned this initial rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, hearing loss, and PTSD are not well grounded. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or exposure to conditions that could have caused these disabilities.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD and status post amputation, left leg as a residual of frostbite has been dismissed due to his death prior to final appellate consideration.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and a back condition, finding that there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his service or any disease/injury incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back injury and sensory changes of the right tibial nerve, contributed to his cause of death from an acute myocardial infarction.