PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2005

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% since April 15, 1996. The issue of an earlier effective date for the 100% rating is moot as the 70% rating has been assigned since September 25, 1998.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed in-service stressful experiences have not been corroborated by service records or other credible, supporting evidence and denied his claim for service connection for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting diagnoses and a need for further examination to clarify the diagnosis of PTSD and its relationship to service.

The veteran's PTSD was found to have mild impairment in the ability to establish or maintain effective and wholesome relationships with people, but definite industrial impairment. For the period beginning on August 31, 2000, the veteran had considerable impairment in the ability to establish or maintain effective and wholesome relationships with people and definite industrial impairment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, diabetic retinopathy, and peripheral vascular disease due to lack of verified in-service stressor for PTSD, absence of a diagnosis for diabetic retinopathy or peripheral vascular disease during service or subsequent thereto, and failure to meet criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss does not meet VA disability criteria and therefore denied service connection for this condition. The other issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, acquired pes planus, and chronic headaches secondary to PTSD were also denied.

The VA has granted service connection for PTSD, but the evaluation is noncompensable. The veteran's representative appeals this decision and requests a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a psychiatric examination to assess the severity of the veteran's PTSD.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the local RO via video conference. The case will be returned to the Board after this development.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA clinical records and providing the veteran with a comprehensive examination to assess the severity of his PTSD, headaches, and gastritis.

The VA has determined that the veteran's PTSD, which was initially granted in June 2001 with a 10% rating and subsequently increased to 30%, is currently productive of occupational and social impairment with an occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. This level of disability warrants a 30% evaluation under the criteria for PTSD.

The veteran's PTSD was granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent for the period preceding September 8, 1999.

The VA has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD related to his service, and thus, denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the veteran's claims for service connection for low back injury and PTSD. The case is being remanded to the RO for further action.

The veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the submission of additional VA medical records without a waiver, and these records have not been considered by the RO.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent disabling, and the RO has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for PTSD and thus denied his claim of service connection for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The veteran's claim of an increased rating for service-connected PTSD is pending.

The veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted as the evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD, credible supporting evidence that the claimed inservice stressors occurred, and a link between current symptoms and the claimed inservice stressors.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by service, attributing it to post-service traumatic events.