PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2005

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the veteran's diagnosed PTSD is related to verified stressors in Vietnam.

The veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent, which is an increase from the initial 10 percent evaluation. The VA found that his symptoms warranted a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hepatitis, and seizure disorder. The decision found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen her service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD) due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat and there was no credible supporting evidence of a verified, credible stressor from his active service. As such, the claim for PTSD was denied.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD is productive of no more than occupational and social impairment with an occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks due to symptoms such as depressed mood and sleep impairment, warranting a rating of 30 percent.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain a missing PTSD examination report from New Orleans VAMC. The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD will be remanded and further development is required.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD limited him to only marginal employment prior to April 19, 1994. The Board finds a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD from November 20, 1990 is warranted.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and right knee disability were granted. The claim for a compensable evaluation for macular degeneration was denied. The veteran is now service-connected for PTSD with a rating of 50%.

The Board has remanded the case due to an unresolved issue regarding the veteran's whereabouts, and a Travel Board hearing is requested.

The veteran's PTSD was previously rated at 70 percent disabling, but the VA reduced this to 50 percent effective June 1, 2002. The Board has now restored the 70 percent rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for PTSD, service connection for back disability, heart disability, and hypertension. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a 50% rating for PTSD or establish direct service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural and evidentiary deficiencies, including a need for further examination of the veteran's PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD, tinnitus, or hepatitis C as a result of his period of service. The evidence did not establish an in-service stressor for PTSD and there is no credible supporting evidence to link current symptoms to any in-service event.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been denied as there is no evidence of a stressor that occurred during his military service.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected right knee strain and right thigh scar have been denied as there is no evidence of instability or subluxation warranting an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and hypertension. The veteran's PTSD is found to be the result of combat operations in Vietnam, while his hypertension was not addressed due to procedural issues.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA psychiatric examination to determine the current severity of his PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen her previously denied claim.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for PTSD due to new and material evidence. The case is being remanded for further development, including verification of combat exposure and examination by a psychiatrist.