PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2004

The veteran does not have a confirmed diagnosis of PTSD, and therefore the claim for service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for the veteran's PTSD, finding that it causes occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy during service and his claimed PTSD is not linked to a verified personal assault. Therefore, service connection for PTSD cannot be granted.

The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD has been granted, and the effective date for this increased rating is set at May 23, 2002. The issue regarding an earlier effective date remains pending.

The veteran's PTSD is manifested by mood disturbances such as depression and anxiety, nightmares, sleep disturbances, difficulty dealing with stress, survival guilt, suicidal ideation, and social isolation. The VA has determined that this warrants a 70 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that additional development is required before the issue of service connection for PTSD can be adjudicated. The veteran's claim will be remanded to allow for a VA examination and further review.

The Board has granted a 70 percent evaluation for the veteran's PTSD, effective from July 12, 2002. The criteria for this rating are met due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in family relations, judgment, thinking, and mood.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete evidence and a need to retrieve recent treatment records.

The VA has granted an initial disability evaluation of 50 percent for the veteran's PTSD, effective January 30, 2002. The symptoms include a flattened affect, circumstantial speech, and difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD was granted.,The veteran's claims for lower radicular group neuropathy of the left arm and loss of right thumb were both granted with effective dates set at March 30, 2001.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for service-connected PTSD due to incomplete notification and development actions required by the VCAA, as well as the need for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a psychiatric examination to determine if the veteran meets the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and whether he engaged in combat. The appellant will be notified of his responsibility regarding obtaining medical evidence of a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD is due to his own willful misconduct during service, and thus not incurred in line of duty. As a result, service connection for PTSD was denied.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional VA medical records and compliance with notification requirements.

The VA determined that there is no current diagnosis of PTSD, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent disabling, and his residuals of a shell fragment wound of the left leg are not shown to be more than moderately severe. The appeal for increased ratings in both conditions is granted.

The veteran's claim for DIC was granted, and service connection for PTSD was established with a 100% evaluation effective from June 17, 1993.

The Board has remanded the case due to VCAA compliance issues and additional development needed, including investigation of alleged stressor events and clarification of representation.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing. The issues are related to reopening claims of service connection and seeking service connection for various conditions.