PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2005

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to a lack of verified in-service stressor and insufficient evidence linking current PTSD symptoms to service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a scheduling conflict for his hearing. The issue of entitlement to an increased disability rating for PTSD remains in appellate status.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's claimed PTSD, including a lack of verified in-service stressors and an incomplete diagnosis. The veteran is asked to provide more information about his alleged incidents involving witnessing individuals falling overboard from the USS Saratoga.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death based on a regulatory amendment, effective October 7, 2004. The appellant disagrees with this effective date.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and arranging a VA examination to assess the veteran's service-connected PTSD. The issues of service connection for residuals of shrapnel wounds to the stomach, residuals of a collapsed lung, and increased evaluation for PTSD are pending.

The Board found that the veteran's actions resulting in the shooting death of another serviceman constituted willful misconduct, and denied service connection for PTSD because the sole stressor related to service used to support a diagnosis of PTSD was his shooting death of the fellow serviceman.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD and therefore, service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Board found no evidence of an in-service stressor sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD and concluded that the veteran does not currently have PTSD as a result of his period of active service.

The Board found that there is no evidence of a right ankle injury during service and the veteran's current right ankle condition does not appear to be related to his military service. Therefore, service connection for residuals of a right ankle fracture was denied.

The Board found no evidence of a recognized stressor related to service and denied the claim for service connection for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD does not meet or approximate the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent during the pendency of this appeal.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with the DSM-IV and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran does not meet the criteria for PTSD, and his degenerative disc disease of the spine and degenerative joint disease of the spine were not incurred in service.

The veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since November 5, 1999. The disability is characterized by symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances including work, and impaired impulse control.

The veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent disabling, the maximum available rating under VA guidelines.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD was denied as there is no evidence that his PTSD warranted such a rating prior to July 12, 2001.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that her claimed in-service stressors were not corroborated by evidence and concluding that there was no evidence of a personal assault during active duty.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, low back disorder, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, flatfeet, skin disorder, headaches, nosebleeds, sleep apnea, joint pain, depression with memory loss, sexual dysfunction, and neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, were denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to service or any incident during service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and residuals of Agent Orange exposure were denied as there was no current diagnosis of a qualifying condition, and the stressor claim lacked verification.