PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2002

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD does not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent, as it has only produced impairment no greater than occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The veteran is found to have PTSD due to his experiences in Vietnam, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The veteran's representative filed a notice of disagreement with the effective date of February 24, 1999, for a grant of total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service connected disabilities. The issue is now remanded to the RO.

The veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a hearing before a traveling Member of the Board.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since August 18, 1997. Effective March 24, 1995, the VA granted a total evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's reported in-service stressors, including exposure to enemy fire and handling of dead servicemen's bodies, are credible. Therefore, service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, metatarsalgia of the right foot and left flatfoot with bilateral plantar fasciitis and heel spurs, bursitis of the left hip, PTSD, and TDIU.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD was not incurred or aggravated in active military service due to lack of credible supporting evidence for claimed inservice stressors.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is related to her period of active service and granted her claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder as secondary to his right knee disability and PTSD, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for a psychiatric disorder. The Board also found no current diagnosis of PTSD based on verified stressors from active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and Coronary Artery Disease. The decision stated that there was no credible supporting evidence of in-service stressors for PTSD, and that coronary artery disease was not shown to be proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an increased rating for his psychiatric disorder. The claim for PTSD was denied due to a lack of credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors actually occurred, as the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy during service. The claim for an increased rating for psychoneurosis, anxiety state, was also denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant's PTSD warrants a 50 percent disability rating, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.

The Board has granted a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD and found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment, thus granting TDIU benefits.

The veteran's PTSD is currently manifested by symptoms such as nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and difficulty being around strangers. However, he maintains close relationships with his family and has been able to maintain steady employment for over two decades. The current evaluation of 50 percent adequately reflects the severity of his condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of March 6, 2000 for a 100 percent evaluation for PTSD. The evidence did not show total occupational and social impairment prior to that date.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent evaluation for accrued benefits purposes, effective from February 17, 2001 to the date of his death in July 2000.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal regarding the effective date for his service connection of post-traumatic stress disorder and also denied his claims for increased ratings for PTSD and residuals of a shell fragment wound of the right shoulder. The veteran was granted a combined rating of 100 percent for his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD rated at 30% and the right shoulder disability rated at 20%.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the award of a TDIU rating due to service-connected disabilities is October 31, 1996.