PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2001

The Board denied the veteran's claims of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the effective dates assigned for a 100% evaluation for PTSD, which was granted effective January 27, 1989, and service connection for tinnitus, which was established effective May 18, 1993.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's claimed PTSD and its connection to service. The RO is instructed to verify the veteran's stressors, obtain his personnel records, and provide him with a VA examination if necessary.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is related to stressors he experienced during his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD does not render him unemployable due to its severity.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete verification of service stressors and additional VA outpatient treatment records are needed. The veteran's claim for post-traumatic stress disorder will be reconsidered after these steps.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to changes in the law and incomplete medical records. A VA examination will be conducted to determine the etiology and date of onset of his low back disability.

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation, as it only results in mild social and industrial impairment.

The Board denied reopening the veteran's claims for service connection for gastroenteritis and PTSD due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder due to new evidence submitted by the appellant. The claim is granted as the evidence supports a current diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and links it to active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss in the right ear and a low back disorder, but granted service connection for PTSD effective July 20, 1998. The appeal is dismissed as to these issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a physical/sexual assault during military service and concluding that his current psychiatric problems were not related to his military service.

The Board has granted a 20 percent evaluation for residuals of a fracture of the left ankle since October 27, 1995. The veteran's service-connected conditions have been evaluated based on their specific diagnostic codes in the VA Rating Schedule.

The Board has determined that the case should be remanded for further development and consideration of the veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder is service-connected as it was incurred during his military service in Vietnam.

The Board has ordered further development due to incomplete service medical records and outstanding medical treatment records. The veteran is advised that for service connection for PTSD, he must present a diagnosis of PTSD, a link between current symptoms and an inservice stressor, and credible supporting evidence that the claimed inservice stressor occurred.

The veteran's PTSD was productive of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks prior to August 31, 1998. From that date until the current evaluation, his condition was characterized by reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for asthma but denied reopening of his PTSD claim. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted and others not.

The Board has remanded the case due to new legal requirements and the need for additional development of the record, including obtaining medical records and verifying stressors associated with PTSD.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the appellant's character of discharge from service is a bar to VA benefits, as his discharge was for the good of the service with an undesirable discharge due to unauthorized absences and he did not meet the criteria for upgrading his discharge.

The veteran's service-connected depressive reaction/post-traumatic stress disorder has resulted in a total schedular evaluation, and he is entitled to a temporary total evaluation based on hospitalization. The claim for individual unemployability due to his psychiatric disabilities is granted.