PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2004

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, tinnitus, gastrointestinal disorder, sinus disorder, and onychomycosis. Additional development is required to determine whether these conditions are related to active service.

The VA has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a new examination. The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected PTSD will be reconsidered after these steps.

The Board found no credible evidence of current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD was productive of total occupational and social impairment starting from June 29, 1994, but not prior to January 9, 1997.

The veteran died from brain injury caused by cocaine overdose. The appellant seeks DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, but the Board finds that the veteran did not meet the criteria for such benefits as he was not in receipt of a 100% service-connected disability rating for at least 10 years prior to his death.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD, maintaining that his symptoms did not warrant a higher evaluation.

The veteran's PTSD was previously granted and rated at 10 percent. The Board has now remanded the case to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and need for additional verification of in-service stressors. The veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bipolar disorder, and various skin conditions are denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for clarification on whether new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the previously denied claim.

The veteran's death was due to sudden cardiac death, and his service-connected PTSD significantly contributed to the cause of death.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete notification of information and evidence necessary to substantiate the claims, as well as potential issues with obtaining service medical records. The veteran's PTSD claim is related to his active military service, while his arthritis and malnutrition claims are not directly linked to his service.

The veteran's claim for an initial increased evaluation of his PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination by a specialist in psychiatry and obtaining all outstanding psychiatric treatment records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diagnosed PTSD is related to an in-service helicopter crash, and thus service connection for PTSD is granted.

The veteran's claim for an effective date prior to November 16, 1994, for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied. The RO had previously granted service connection in April 1995 with a November 16, 1994, effective date.

The Board found that there is no current medical diagnosis of PTSD and the veteran's reported experiences do not meet the criteria for service connection. The claim for PTSD was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD was productive of severe social and industrial impairment from June 25, 1999 to December 2, 1999, warranting a 70 percent evaluation.

The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD was denied, but the current rating of 50 percent is maintained.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no credible evidence to support his claimed in-service stressors and thus concluding that he did not engage in combat with the enemy. As a result, the diagnosis of PTSD could not be linked to service.