PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2006

The VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a liver disorder, finding that there was no current diagnosis of PTSD and insufficient evidence to support a direct service connection for a liver disorder.

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

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional information about his in-service stressors and scheduling VA examinations to assess the nature and severity of his PTSD, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy.

The veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional evaluations and consideration of his diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and diabetic retinopathy.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient service records documenting a reported sexual assault in service, and further development is needed including obtaining information from alternative sources.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including consideration of new VA clinical records and a hearing transcript. The veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety, depression, and PTSD are being considered together.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to May 5, 1999 for the grant of service connection for PTSD. The RO initially granted service connection for PTSD in November 2002 and assigned a retroactive effective date of May 5, 1999.

The veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher initial disability rating, warranting a 50% evaluation since October 13, 2004.

The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat and there is no credible supporting evidence to corroborate his reported stressors. As a result, the claim for service connection for PTSD was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of combat-related stressors and a VA psychiatric examination to determine current psychiatric disabilities.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and found that new evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD. However, the Board also determined that there is no credible evidence linking the diagnosed PTSD to any specific in-service stressor.

The veteran seeks service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based on in-service exposure to a ship attack. The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of the stressor claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further evaluation of the veteran's PTSD and seizure disorder, including review of updated treatment records and additional evaluations. The veteran is also advised to submit any relevant documentation regarding his lack of employment due to his mental health issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for benign positional vertigo, an increased evaluation for post-traumatic stress disorder, and a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran's symptoms of dizziness were attributed to benign positional vertigo, which was not shown to be related to his military service. His PTSD was found to warrant a 50% rating, but the hearing loss did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing and providing supplemental VCAA notice. The veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder remains pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July 26, 2000 for the award of service connection for PTSD. The RO initially granted service connection for PTSD in July 2001 and assigned a 30 percent rating effective from July 26, 2000.

The veteran's appeals for service connection on the merits have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of these claims.

The veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, laryngitis, and actinic and seborrheic keratoses (claimed as dead skin) are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The veteran's arthritis of the hips, hands, and knees is also denied.,The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen his previously denied claim.