PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2003

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

The VA denied the appellant's claim for service connection for PTSD due to a lack of credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressor occurred.

The Board denied the claim to reopen service connection for PTSD due to lack of new and material evidence, despite the veteran's submission of additional information.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is not warranted due to lack of credible evidence supporting his claimed in-service stressors.

The veteran's 100 percent rating for service-connected PTSD is granted as the disability is reasonably certain to continue throughout his life.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for a TDIU was granted effective from September 1, 2001. The Board also found that it is factually ascertainable that the veteran became unemployable as of April 16, 2001.

The Board has determined that the veteran incurred PTSD during his active military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. However, there is no credible evidence that the veteran engaged in combat with the enemy during his military service, and thus, the claimed stressors cannot be verified. The VA examiner found that the veteran does not meet the criteria for PTSD based on his current symptoms.

The Board has determined that the effective date for service connection and a 100% disability rating for PTSD should be set at February 8, 1989.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to be of such severity that it renders him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The veteran's PTSD is productive of significant mental impairment warranting a 50 percent evaluation, which is the next higher rating under the applicable diagnostic code.

The Board found that the evidence was in approximate balance as to whether the veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) met the criteria for a 50 percent evaluation, and granted an initial rating of 50 percent effective from February 2000.

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

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% disabling, his left leg muscle weakness at 10%, and his lumbar spine/left hip degeneration at 40%. The TDIU issue is moot due to the PTSD rating.

The Board has determined that the appellant's PTSD warrants a 70 percent evaluation, reflecting total occupational and social impairment. Additionally, the Board found that the appellant is unemployable due to his service-connected PTSD, granting a TDIU.

The VA has denied a higher evaluation for the veteran's PTSD, currently rated at 50 percent.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for PTSD, finding that the veteran's clinical signs and manifestations meet the criteria for such a rating. The decision also denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The VA has denied the veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an effective date prior to April 24, 1996 for the grant of service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder. The veteran argued that the April 1968 Service Incident Report should have established a retroactive effective date based on new evidence from the service department, but the Board found this argument unpersuasive as the records did not meet the criteria specified in VA regulations.

The Board found that the veteran did not have testamentary capacity at the time he changed his beneficiary designation, and thus the change was invalid. The appellant's claim for proceeds of the NSLI policy is denied.