PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2003

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD. The case is being remanded to the RO for further development, including scheduling a VA psychiatric examination and obtaining SSA records.

The Board found no evidence of an innocently acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, due to disease or injury incurred in service. The veteran's current anxiety disorder is not shown to have had its clinical onset during service.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his post-traumatic stress disorder was denied as he failed to report for a scheduled VA examination without good cause.

The Board found that the veteran does not have PTSD and denied his claim for service connection.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a higher initial rating of 10 percent for PTSD, citing his failure to report for a scheduled November 2000 VA PTSD examination.

The veteran's PTSD with panic attacks and agoraphobia did not meet the criteria for a disability evaluation in excess of 50 percent for the period between October 27, 1988 and July 22, 1997.

The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for the veteran's PTSD, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.

The veteran's PTSD symptoms prior to March 6, 2002 resulted in occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. Since March 6, 2002, the disability has caused total occupational impairment.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death, which occurred due to a combination of factors including pneumonia and cerebrovascular accidents.

The veteran's service connection for PTSD and psychotic disorder was granted, with a 50 percent evaluation effective May 17, 2002. The veteran requested a Board of Veterans' Appeals Travel Board hearing.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected chronic brain syndrome associated with PTSD does not warrant an increased evaluation beyond the current 30 percent rating, as his symptoms are more closely related to Alzheimer's disease.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and cardiovascular disease, including hypertension and acquired heart disease, as secondary to PTSD. The Board found that there was no evidence of a confirmed diagnosis of PTSD and that the current cardiovascular issues were not related to PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD because his claimed stressors were not verified and he did not engage in combat with the enemy.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected PTSD, finding that he failed to report for a scheduled VA examination without good cause and thus denying his claim.

The veteran's PTSD was rated at 70 percent effective March 27, 2002. The appeal is granted for a higher evaluation.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, finding that his current PTSD symptoms are related to his active service in the Persian Gulf War.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that his claimed in-service stressful experiences had not been corroborated by service records or other credible evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted, based on credible supporting evidence of in-service stressors and a current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 22, 2003 for a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD. The decision found that entitlement to this rating was not factually ascertainable within one year before the April 22, 2003 claim.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date than February 26, 2001, for the grant of a total disability rating due to individual unemployability is denied.