PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is related to his service in Vietnam and grants service connection for PTSD.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss and an increased rating for PTSD. The claim for left ear hearing loss is denied by operation of law due to lack of current disability, while the PTSD claim remains at a 50% evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including verifying service stressors and obtaining in-service psychiatric/mental hygiene clinical records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's claimed PTSD, including lack of supporting evidence for the stressors and missing VA treatment records. The veteran needs to provide more details about his alleged stressful incidents.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by service due to lack of combat experience and uncorroborated stressor allegations. The diagnosis of PTSD is rejected as based on unsupported statements.

The Board has ordered additional development to be completed in order to determine if the veteran's PTSD is service-connected, including obtaining VA medical records and attempting to verify any claimed inservice stressors.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected PTSD, currently rated at 50 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication due to incomplete records, need for additional medical opinions, and other procedural issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran's major depression and PTSD are not service-connected, as there is no evidence to support a direct link between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board denied increased evaluations for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for his service-connected PTSD, maintaining that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is due to an in-service stressor and grants service connection for PTSD.

The Board found that the reduction in rating of the service-connected PTSD from 30 percent to 10 percent, effective on May 1, 1999, was not proper and must be voided ab initio.

The veteran's claim is being remanded due to her request for a Travel Board hearing at the RO.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development.

The veteran's PTSD is not productive of total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100% evaluation.,The veteran's left hand scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bipolar disorder and PTSD were not incurred during active service, as there is no evidence of a traumatic in-service event or stressor. The veteran was found to have reactive depression during service but did not participate in combat.

The VA has decided to remand the case for further development due to lack of corroborating evidence of in-service stressors. The veteran needs to provide additional records and statements.

The Board previously denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD in May 1996. The current decision finds that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen this claim, as there is no verified in-service stressor.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed stressor of sexual assaults during her period of active duty service has not been verified, and she did not engage in combat with the enemy. Therefore, PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by the veteran's active service.