PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2004

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD but determined that the effective date cannot be earlier than March 29, 1996.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in VCAA notice and procedural issues.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being remanded to the RO for additional development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent disability rating, effective from February 28, 2001.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The RO found that the maximum disability rating allowed for his tinnitus under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 4.87, Diagnostic Code 6260 (2003) was already assigned.

The Board is unable to decide the claim of PTSD as it is not about service connection. The petition to reopen the claim for contusions of the lumbosacral spine was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD. The issue of service connection for PTSD, on the merits, is addressed in a separate REMAND.

The VA has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 50 percent disability rating, effective July 25, 2002. The veteran's PTSD is currently manifested by ongoing symptoms of depression, difficulty sleeping due to recurring nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, increased irritability, social isolation, problems with concentration, and reduced reliability and productivity in social and occupational settings.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development, including scheduling a VA PTSD examination and obtaining additional medical records. The veteran's service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder is being evaluated for its impact on his work efficiency and occupational tasks.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to new evidence indicating a current diagnosis of PTSD possibly related to a sexual assault in service. The case is being remanded for further development and consideration.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD and remanded it for further development. The decision is mixed, with some issues granted and others not.

The veteran's PTSD did not result in severe impairment of his ability to establish or maintain effective relationships, nor did it cause significant occupational and social impairment during the periods considered.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records of treatment and verifying stressors related to PTSD. The veteran's service-connected disabilities are also being evaluated.

The VA has ruled out a current diagnosis of PTSD based on recent examinations, and thus service connection for PTSD is not warranted.

The Board found that the veteran did not have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, that was causally related to his active military service. The claim for accrued benefits based on this finding is denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for duodenal ulcer and PTSD, as well as a TDIU prior to July 17, 2003, were denied. The RO confirmed the current rating of 20 percent for duodenal ulcer but did not grant an increase in rating for PTSD or TDIU.

The veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder is manifested by severely limited social contact and severe impairment in the ability to retain employment. The Board has determined that a 70 percent evaluation, but no more, is warranted for post-traumatic stress disorder.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including providing proper VCAA notice and obtaining additional VA treatment records. The RO must consider both the former and new schedular criteria for rating post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat and there is no credible supporting evidence of any claimed in-service stressors. Therefore, the claim for service connection for PTSD was denied.

The Board found that the appellant does not have PTSD attributable to experiences during his less than one month of active service and therefore denied the claim for service connection.