PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2003

The Board has decided to remand the appellant's claims due to a need for additional notification and development under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA). The claims include service connection for PTSD, hypertension, ulnar neuropathy, gastrointestinal disorder, and total disability evaluation based upon individual unemployability.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and there is no credible supporting evidence for the claimed stressor events. The VA examinations and medical records do not support a diagnosis of PTSD, and the examiner concluded that the veteran did not meet the criteria for PTSD.

The veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder is granted as it was incurred in active service.

The VA determined that the veteran's current PTSD is related to his service in the Persian Gulf War, specifically exposure to SCUD missile attacks and fear of biohazards. The claim for service connection was granted.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD resulted in occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, warranting a 30 percent evaluation.

The VA has granted a 50 percent evaluation for PTSD, effective November 14, 1990.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have service connection for any of the claimed conditions, including PTSD, hearing loss, upper respiratory disorders, tonsillitis, hemorrhoids, low back injury, frostbite, ingrown toenails, numbness of hands, fracture of left thumb, right shoulder dislocation, left elbow disability, arthritis of the back and shoulders, hyperopia and presbyopia, chloracne (claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure), or acute/subacute peripheral neuropathy (claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure).

The VA denied an increased evaluation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, as the veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD was denied as the earliest possible effective date is October 8, 1999, when he applied to change his military record.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 100 percent disability rating, considering his symptoms as causing severe impairment in thought processes and communication.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD due to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and left knee disability, finding that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy during his service and that there was no verifiable stressor supporting PTSD. The claim of a left knee disability is remanded for further development.

The veteran's appeal for service connection of post-traumatic stress disorder has been dismissed due to the death of the veteran during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the current rating decision is incomplete and requires additional development to ensure compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA) and other relevant regulations. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not timely perfect an appeal of the April 1999 denial of service connection for PTSD, and thus does not have jurisdiction to review the underlying RO decision. The claim for reopening the PTSD claim was also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete development of evidence, particularly regarding the alleged in-service stressor for PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his right hand condition and service connection for malaria, arthritis, pneumonia, PTSD, and residuals of a broken right leg.

The veteran is seeking a higher initial disability rating for his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The RO has ordered further development of the evidence, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling another VA psychiatric examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100 percent evaluation for PTSD, finding that there was no ascertainable increase in disability within one year preceding January 17, 2001.