PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2004

The Board has granted service connection for major depression and chronic adjustment disorder with symptoms of PTSD, finding that the veteran's in-service assault is credible and linking it to her current psychiatric conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to verify stressors and determine the nature of any right foot pathology.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and set the effective date at June 7, 2001 based on VA medical records dated within one year of the February 2002 claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent disability rating, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and PTSD, and dismissed his claim for service connection for tinnitus. The decision also noted that the veteran had not provided additional evidence to support his individual unemployability (TDIU) claim.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD, which was previously denied in December 2000.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD stems from exposure to combat stressors during his active duty and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder is being remanded due to the addition of new evidence that has not yet been reviewed by the RO.

The Board has granted service connection for bipolar disorder with PTSD effective March 7, 2002. The veteran was previously denied a claim for this condition in September 1998 and the current grant of service connection is based on new evidence provided by VA.

PTSD was granted with a 30 percent rating from December 15, 1997 to January 6, 2002 and a 50 percent rating thereafter.,Right clavicle resection was granted with a 10 percent rating from May 22, 1997 to February 5, 2001 and a 30 percent rating thereafter.,Diabetes mellitus type II was granted with a 20 percent rating.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to the lack of verified stressors and a diagnosis not supported by evidence.

The Board granted a rating of 50 percent for PTSD effective March 1, 2004. The veteran's lumbosacral strain and GERD were also rated as requested.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD as there was no credible evidence of a confirmed stressor related to his military service, and thus, the diagnosis could not be based on service. The veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy during his active duty.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of PTSD and established that there is sufficient evidence to support a diagnosis of PTSD related to an in-service stressor. The veteran's unit was subjected to enemy attacks, which is sufficient to imply his personal exposure.

The Board has granted a 100 percent disability rating for the veteran's PTSD, finding that it results in total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to substantiate the veteran's claim for service connection of PTSD, including obtaining stressor information and conducting a comprehensive psychiatric examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Board dismissed the appellant's appeals for various issues, including whether a noncompensable evaluation was clearly and unmistakably erroneous, service connection for PTSD, and service connection for scarring of the left tympanic membrane. The appeal was also dismissed for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes, recurrent dislocation of the left shoulder, and tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-existing conditions and insufficient medical opinion regarding causation.