PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2006

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining more specific details of the veteran's claimed in-service stressors and providing a VA psychiatric examination to determine whether he has PTSD.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied. The Board found that the criteria for higher ratings had not been met, and there was no evidence of new and material information to reopen previously denied service connection claims.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination to determine if he has PTSD related to service and a general medical examination to determine the etiology of his hypertension. The issue of arthritis will be referred back to the RO with instructions on how to proceed.

The Board has granted a 70 percent evaluation for the veteran's PTSD, finding that his symptoms meet the criteria for this rating level.

The Board denied a higher disability rating for PTSD and denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for prostate cancer. The veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, but not in excess of that level. The effective date for prostate cancer was set at April 16, 2003.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for proper VCAA notification and a more recent VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verifying in-service stressors related to PTSD and obtaining updated medical records. The veteran's service connection claims will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and remanded the case to allow further development, including obtaining additional information about stressors in service and providing a VA examination.

The veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for proper VCAA notice and consideration of both old and new rating criteria.

The veteran's PTSD is manifested by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability or productivity, warranting a disability rating of 50 percent. The symptoms do not more nearly approximate the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD, finding that the earliest diagnosis was in March 2003 and thus November 20, 2002 is the earliest possible effective date.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for low back pain with degenerative discs and PTSD. The Board found that there is no evidence linking the current low back condition to military service, and thus denied the claim.

The veteran's PTSD was not productive of suicidal ideation, obsessive rituals, impaired speech, panic or depression that affects his ability to function independently or appropriately prior to December 28, 1999. His only service-connected disability, PTSD, did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining any form of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational background.

The VA denied an increased evaluation in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, as the veteran's condition does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for PTSD and is denied. For his left eye disability, the Board finds no evidence of anatomical loss or enucleation in the service-connected eye, and thus denies an evaluation beyond 30 percent.

The veteran's PTSD was initially rated at 10 percent from June 5, 2001 to May 23, 2002 and later increased to 50 percent effective May 24, 2002.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the veteran's reported stressor is verified and as likely as not related to his in-service experience.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected PTSD and facial scarring are severe enough to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were granted, with the effective date being April 19, 2005. The hearing loss and PTSD conditions received their respective increases to 10 percent and 70 percent ratings from that date onwards. For his feet, he was granted a 20 percent rating for traumatic arthritis of the right foot as of May 16, 2005, and a 30 percent rating for traumatic arthritis of the left foot starting from September 27, 2000.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD as there was no verified in-service stressor and his diagnoses were not linked to a confirmed event.