PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2001

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) has determined that the veteran's service connection for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder should be granted based on a direct link between his in-service experiences and current symptoms.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no credible supporting evidence of in-service stressors and that her current diagnosis of PTSD is not linked to any service events. The medical records indicate that her PTSD symptoms are related to civilian stressors.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 100 percent disability rating, indicating total occupational and social impairment.

The VA has maintained a 30 percent rating for the veteran's PTSD, which is currently rated as a service-connected condition. The evidence does not support an increase in this rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and alcohol abuse, finding that there was no clear diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed post-traumatic stress disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no indication of combat involvement and the stressors provided were not verified. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that new and material evidence supports the claim. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD remains pending as there is no clear basis to determine its status.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors occurred.

The veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated at a 30 percent rating, effective from February 14, 1997.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of December 18, 1995, for a 100% rating for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's claimed PTSD and its connection to service. The veteran must provide additional information about his alleged stressors, including names of medical providers who may have records relevant to his claim.

The veteran is seeking service connection for various mental conditions, chronic headaches, bilateral hearing loss and scars on the left rib cage area. The RO has ordered additional development to determine if there is a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's PTSD is productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, but the veteran has demonstrated his ability to maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has found the evidence currently of record sufficient to support a 70 percent rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and for a TDIU rating. The case is remanded to obtain additional evidence and conduct further examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection of a left knee disability and for an increased rating for PTSD. The veteran is not entitled to staged ratings as his claim for higher evaluation for PTSD was initially granted.

The veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision. The evaluation assigned for anemia does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The veteran seeks to reopen his claim for PTSD, which is a service-connected condition. The VA has not yet determined whether new and material evidence has been submitted.

The veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since January 1985, and the Board finds that he met the criteria for this rating as early as his initial claim in 1985.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The new evidence received since the prior decisions supports this reopening.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than August 29, 1988, for a 100 percent rating for post-traumatic stress disorder, finding that it is not factually ascertainable with any certainty exactly when the disability became productive of total social and industrial impairment prior to that date.