PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a grant of an increased rating for post-traumatic stress disorder, as the current evaluation is already at its maximum allowable under VA regulations.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of August 15, 2003 for the grant of service connection and assignment of a 100% disability rating for PTSD. The RO found that the evidence submitted in August 1996 was new and material to reopen the previously denied claim.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the veteran's reported in-service stressors are credible and supported by his military history. The diagnosis of PTSD is consistent with the DSM-IV criteria.

The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for the veteran's PTSD, finding that symptoms warrant this level of disability throughout the appeal period.

The VA has denied an increased disability evaluation for the veteran's service-connected PTSD, currently rated at 30 percent. The evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for PTSD and spinal stenosis, L4-S1. The decision found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the PTSD claim, and there was no competent medical evidence associating spinal stenosis with military service.

The veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent from February 12, 1998, to May 15, 2000, and at 70 percent since May 16, 2000.,The claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU benefits was denied as there was no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to May 16, 2000, or that the veteran's disability had increased in severity within one year prior to this date.

The veteran's appeal is dismissed due to the death of the veteran during the pendency of the appeal.

The veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated as 50 percent disabling, but the Board finds that he does not meet the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected PTSD alone.

The Board found that the veteran does not have PTSD as a result of active military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding VA and private medical records, as well as Social Security records. The veteran is also scheduled for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board denied service connection for major depressive disorder, but granted service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder. The decision is mixed as it grants one condition and denies another.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no confirmation of the stressor events he alleged occurred in service and thus the diagnosis of PTSD based on unverified stressors could not be established.

The Board found that the veteran does not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, warts on both feet, a second-degree separation of the acromioclavicular joint of the right shoulder, bilateral hearing loss, and a fracture of the left big toe with a soft tissue injury of the left foot were denied as there is no competent evidence linking any current disability to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD with Major Depressive Disorder warrants a 100 percent evaluation, reflecting total occupational and social impairment.

The Board found that there is no credible supporting evidence demonstrating that the veteran's claimed in-service stressors actually occurred, and thus denied service connection for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for PTSD and compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for an umbilical hernia resulting from a June 2001 VA colonoscopy need further development to verify claimed stressors, obtain additional medical records, and provide appropriate examinations.