PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2005

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and found that the veteran's asbestosis warrants a 30 percent disability evaluation.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to a lack of credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors occurred, and because he did not engage in combat with the enemy. The veteran's reported stressors were not corroborated by independent evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral hearing loss, or a skin disorder that is service-connected. The evidence did not establish an in-service stressor for PTSD and there was no medical diagnosis of any of these conditions.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that his claimed condition is directly related to his military service.

The veteran's somatization disorder is rated at the highest possible evaluation (100%) due to its total occupational and social impairment.

The veteran's anxiety disorder and PTSD are currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted. The veteran's service-connected disability does not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty military service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The veteran's claims for bilateral leg disability, low back disability, groin abscess, and PTSD were denied as they did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) found no competent medical evidence to support a diagnosis of PTSD, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD.

The veteran's appeal was denied for entitlement to higher ratings for PTSD and lumbosacral spine disabilities. The appeals were based on the severity of his service-connected conditions, but no specific exposure basis or presumption was mentioned.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as there was no credible evidence supporting the occurrence of a personal assault during service that led to his current symptoms.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia and a chronic gastrointestinal disorder, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or PTSD. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD was also denied.,Service connection for PTSD was granted in May 2000 with a current evaluation of 70 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to lack of corroborating evidence. The issue of an increased rating for low back disability is pending and will be addressed in a separate REMAND.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an increased rating for his residuals of a fracture of the right tibia and fibula, finding no current diagnosis of PTSD and noting that the evidence did not support a compensable evaluation for the veteran's disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to additional development needed, including obtaining SSA records and verifying stressor events.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD related to his period of active duty and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for recognition as a former prisoner-of-war, service connection for various conditions, and reopening of previously denied claims. The reasons were that there was no evidence to support the veteran's status as a POW, his hearing loss and respiratory disorder were not shown by competent medical evidence to be related to service, arthritis and psoriasis were not shown to have been present in service or within one year post-service, PTSD was based on unsubstantiated stressors, and new and material evidence had not been submitted for the claims of hypertension and malaria.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the veteran's PTSD is related to his service, specifically his confirmed combat exposure in Vietnam. The case is being remanded for additional medical examination and records.