PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2002

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

The Board denied service connection for dysthymia and initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for chondromalacia patella of the knees. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD is pending.

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating.

The veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent prior to October 31, 2000 and later increased to 70 percent after that date. The appeal is denied as the criteria for a higher rating are not met.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or sufficient medical history to support this claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to June 27, 1995, for the grant of service connection and a 60 percent evaluation for ischemic heart disease.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board granted an increased evaluation of 70 percent for the veteran's service-connected PTSD and denied entitlement to a TDIU.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has granted a higher rating to 70 percent based on his symptoms of anger, sleeplessness, flashbacks, nightmares related to combat, startle response to loud noises, and suicidal ideation without a plan.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD for accrued purposes, finding that there was no diagnosis of PTSD at the time of his death and insufficient evidence to establish a link between any diagnosed condition and an in-service stressor.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, for accrued purposes due to a lack of medical evidence of a diagnosis of PTSD at the time of his death.

The Board has found that the veteran likely experienced PTSD due to events in service, specifically an accident involving a Humvee where one person died and another was injured. The diagnosis of PTSD is supported by credible evidence.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have PTSD, insomnia, or an acquired psychiatric disorder such as depression or anxiety that is related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder, finding that the current evaluation of 50 percent is not sufficient to warrant a higher rating under the criteria in effect prior to November 7, 1996.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for PTSD. The issue of whether the veteran is entitled to service connection for PTSD on the merits will be addressed in a later decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and secondary service connection for cervical radiculopathy/myelopathy of the right upper extremity due to her service-connected cervical spine disability. The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for posttraumatic headaches was also denied, as were her claims for a higher evaluation for residuals of cervical spine injury with degenerative changes.

The veteran was granted service connection for PTSD, residuals of fractures of the right mid tibia and fibula, and right hand disability (claimed as arthritis of the right hand). The claims were decided on the merits.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty military service. The stressors claimed by the veteran, including an explosion during firefighting training and an attempted rape, were not verified as they did not occur during combat.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the appeal for an increased rating has been granted. The TDIU issue remains unresolved.