PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2002

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD was not incurred or aggravated in wartime service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD was incurred in active service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the earliest date on which it was factually ascertainable that the veteran's PTSD with associated major depression had become 100 percent disabling was February 9, 2000. Therefore, the effective date for the grant of a 100 percent rating is set to this date.

The Board has granted service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, but the issue of service connection for a seizure disorder secondary to PTSD remains pending.

The veteran seeks an earlier effective date for service connection and benefits related to his military service, including PTSD, gunshot wound residuals, hearing loss, vitamin B-12 deficiency, and GERD. The Board found no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to August 30, 1999.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for PTSD effective from March 21, 1995 and increased the evaluation to 50 percent effective from November 7, 1996. The claim of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is denied as of September 16, 2000.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his total disability rating based on individual unemployability and a 70 percent disability evaluation for post-traumatic stress disorder, finding that the earliest possible effective dates were January 1, 1998.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a skin disorder and PTSD. The skin disorder was granted, but the PTSD claim was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service stressor and thus no basis for a diagnosis of PTSD.

The veteran's appeal was denied for higher ratings for his service-connected disabilities, including residuals of frozen feet and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for an additional hearing before a traveling member of the Board at the Huntington, West Virginia Regional Office.

The veteran's PTSD with major depression has rendered him unable to obtain or maintain employment, warranting a 100 percent evaluation. Headaches do not meet the criteria for an initial compensable evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and the temporary total rating based on hospital treatment of a service-connected disability. The veteran does not have PTSD as a result of disease or injury during active service, and there is no evidence that he engaged in combat with the enemy.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and a back condition, including sciatic neuropathy. The decision did not address exposure to herbicides or any other specific basis.

The Board has granted service connection for dizziness and an increased rating for PTSD disability. The veteran's dizziness is found to be related to his cardiovascular condition or service-connected tinnitus, while the PTSD disability results in intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, and chronic sleep impairment.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD is now rated at the highest available level of disability (100%), due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that his claimed stressors during World War II are likely to have occurred in service and linking them to his current condition.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no credible evidence of a stressor related to his military service and thus not meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection and a 100 percent rating for post-traumatic stress disorder prior to March 24, 1992.