PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2005

The veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy and PTSD was denied. The Board found that the veteran did not have a current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy related to his Vietnam service or Agent Orange exposure, and there were no verified in-service stressors for PTSD.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining his personnel records and providing him with a VA examination. The issues of service connection for various conditions are also being addressed.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.

The VA has determined that the veteran's PTSD does not meet or approximate criteria for a higher disability rating, as it does not demonstrate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.

The veteran's PTSD evaluation remains at 50 percent, but his claim is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess current symptomatology and for the retrieval of all relevant treatment records.

The Board has reduced the veteran's disability rating from 50 percent to 30 percent for PTSD, effective March 1, 2003. The reduction was based on clinical findings at VA examinations and in Vet Center and VA outpatient treatment notes.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if the veteran was sexually assaulted in service and whether this assault caused or contributed to her current PTSD. The case will be returned for further action.

The veteran's PTSD was granted with a 30 percent evaluation effective March 27, 2002.,The veteran's hepatitis C was granted service connection effective October 12, 2001, but assigned a noncompensable rating.

The veteran's motion to review a final Board decision denying an effective date for a 100% evaluation for PTSD has been withdrawn.

The veteran's PTSD is primarily manifested by mood disturbances, anxiety attacks, anger and rage, chronic sleep disturbance, difficulty with social interaction, suicidal ideation, obsessive and ritualistic behavior, hypervigilance, and increasing social isolation resulting in serious but less than total social and occupational impairment. The Board has determined that the criteria for a 70 percent evaluation have been met.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for psychiatric disability, including PTSD, finding that there was no evidence of a diagnosed condition and no credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressor actually occurred.

The veteran's PTSD results in significant occupational and social impairment, warranting a 70 percent evaluation.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for PTSD due to new and material evidence submitted since the last denial. The veteran's diagnosis of PTSD is supported by credible supporting evidence of in-service stressors, and there is a causal nexus between current symptoms and these stressors.

The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for the veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder, which previously had been rated at 30 percent.

The case is being remanded for further development, including a clarifying opinion from the June 2004 VA examiner regarding whether the veteran's seizure disorder was caused by or permanently aggravated by his service-connected malaria and/or PTSD.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 50 percent rating effective June 13, 2001. The veteran's PTSD has been productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder due to incomplete development and need for additional VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain service medical records and verify stressors. The veteran is diagnosed with PTSD as a result of his Vietnam war experiences.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for PTSD. The denial of service connection for colon polyps, claimed as soft tissue sarcoma, due to Agent Orange exposure is upheld. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a skin condition, also due to Agent Orange exposure, is remanded.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a video conference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.