PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially or materially to cause his death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder due to a lack of credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors actually occurred, and there was no current diagnosis or medical evidence linking his symptoms to any such events.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed PTSD and torticollis were not incurred or aggravated by service, and are not related to his service-connected post-traumatic organic mental disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and skin cancer/actinic keratoses of the head and neck, as well as his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected right leg disability was granted, with a rating of 40 percent effective January 1996. The claims for special monthly compensation and financial assistance were denied.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed stressors could not be verified, and there was no clear diagnosis of PTSD or credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressor actually occurred. As a result, service connection for PTSD was denied.

The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and there is no credible supporting evidence of service stressors occurring during his alleged Vietnam tour. As a result, the claim for PTSD was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran is demonstrably unable to secure and maintain suitable and substantially gainful employment due to his PTSD, warranting a 100 percent disability rating.

The veteran's claim for increased evaluation of his staph scars was granted, with a rating of 30 percent effective from August 30, 2002. The claims for PTSD and low back disability were denied.

The Board has granted a 100% disability rating for PTSD effective October 27, 1997. The veteran's symptoms have been severe and disabling since that date.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD substantially contributed to causing his death from heart disease, which was the cause of death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, psychiatric disability (including post-traumatic stress disorder), and residuals of a cerebrovascular accident. The appeals were based on direct evidence rather than presumptions or secondary theories.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's PTSD is a result of his Vietnam combat experience and grants service connection for this condition.

The VA has determined that the veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder does not warrant a higher initial evaluation, as it only results in mild occupational and social impairment.

The VA has determined that the veteran's PTSD does not cause occupational and social impairment greater than reduced reliability and productivity, thus denying a rating in excess of 50 percent.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of PTSD and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD related to in-service combat experiences.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board found that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the current evidence of record.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% prior to March 17, 1998 and at 70% thereafter due to total occupational and social impairment.

The VA has determined that the veteran's PTSD does not warrant a higher than 70 percent disability rating, as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for total occupational and social impairment.

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD did not result in significant occupational and social impairment, warranting a 50% disability rating.