PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for PTSD and post-operative residuals of Basal Cell Carcinoma.,The veteran's active duty included service in Vietnam, where he was exposed to stressful experiences. The VA has provided treatment for PTSD since 1998.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, metrorrhagia, squamous intraepithelial lesion (cervix), conjunctivitis of both eyes, bilateral shin pain, recurrent ingrown toenails, herpes simplex II, and gastroenteritis. The decision found that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence to rebut the presumption of soundness for PTSD, but the veteran did not have a current disability for other conditions.

The Board has denied the reopening of both claims for PTSD and syncope with arrhythmia, finding that no new and material evidence was submitted to support these claims.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the veteran's claimed service stressors and determine if they are linked to his PTSD. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

PTSD was initially rated as 10 percent disabling from May 30, 2002, through May 19, 2003. It was then increased to 50 percent from October 20, 2003, through December 4, 2003.,PTSD has been rated as 70 percent disabling from December 5, 2003, through March 20, 2005. It was then reassigned to a 30 percent rating from March 21, 2005.

The veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, PTSD, and depression have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent rating.

The veteran's PTSD is manifested by symptoms including intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and auditory hallucinations. The Board finds that the criteria for a 70 percent rating are met.

The veteran's PTSD claim is being remanded for additional development, including a new examination to assess the severity of his condition. His TDIU claim remains pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not engage in combat with an enemy and therefore cannot establish service connection for PTSD based on a claimed in-service stressor. The claim is denied.

The veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as there is no credible evidence of a sufficient stressor to support the diagnosis. The claim for lipomatosis with scars also failed, as the sum of the scar areas did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for PTSD was granted, with the effective date set at November 3, 1994. The veteran is currently rated at 100 percent for PTSD.

The Board has found that the veteran's stressor is verified and her PTSD is linked to service. The Board also found no other psychiatric disability related to service.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board found that the veteran did not serve in combat and his claimed PTSD stressors were not corroborated by credible supporting evidence, thus denying service connection for PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD. The evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD based on verified stressors and there was no indication that any psychiatric disorder originated in service or was otherwise related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected PTSD and diabetes mellitus render him unemployable, and thus grants a TDIU based on these conditions.

The veteran does not have PTSD, and the Board finds that his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to March 5, 2003 and found no basis to grant a higher rating beginning on March 5, 2003.

The veteran's PTSD is currently manifested by occasional nightmares and other psychiatric symptoms attributed to non-service-connected disorders. The RO denied an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, finding that the criteria for such a rating are not met based on the evidence of record.