PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2006

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

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's service connection for PTSD. The claim will be reconsidered after further examination and verification of stressor events.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD and determined that new evidence received since May 1992 is sufficient to reopen the claim. The appellant's statements regarding in-service stressors are considered, but no combat involvement was verified by USASCRUR. Service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining missing service and VA medical records, as well as conducting examinations to determine if PTSD and cardiovascular disease are related to service.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation. The VA has provided adequate notice and assistance in this case.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is pending. The validity of the overpayment of nonservice-connected pension benefits is established.

The veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The preponderance of the evidence shows that his symptoms more closely approximated a 50 percent rating than for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including verification of stressor events in service and a psychiatric evaluation to determine if any current psychiatric disability is related to military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's claimed stressors during service, and further development is needed to verify these events.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of April 8, 2002 for a 100 percent rating for PTSD.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, the maximum available rating. Service connection for osteoarthritis of the right knee and numbness in the legs/thighs due to an undiagnosed illness are both granted.

The veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling the veteran for an orthopedic examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for his PTSD and for retroactive payment of benefits, finding that the earliest effective date allowed by law was April 25, 1994.

The Board denied service connection for chronic sinusitis, PTSD, and hypertension. The veteran's claim of service connection for sinusitis was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. Service connection for PTSD could not be established as there were no verified in-service stressors. Hypertension was also not found to have been incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD did not meet the criteria for a 70 percent evaluation prior to October 11, 2000. The effective date of the 70 percent rating was denied.

The veteran seeks an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for his service-connected PTSD. The case is REMANDED to the RO for a new VA examination and readjudication.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and notification issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not timely submit a Substantive Appeal/VA Form 9 regarding the denial of entitlement to an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD, and thus lacks jurisdiction over this issue.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and TDIU ratings, finding that an effective date prior to June 27, 2001 is not warranted due to the finality of the November 1995 decision and the fact that the grant of service connection was based on a reopened claim. The veteran's TDIU rating was granted effective June 27, 2001.

The Board determined that the veteran's substantive appeal was untimely due to not being filed within the required time frame. As a result, the earlier effective date for the increased rating of PTSD was denied.