PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2006

The veteran's claim to reopen the issue of entitlement to an effective date earlier than June 26, 2002 for the grant of service connection for PTSD is denied due to lack of entitlement under the law.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's claimed PTSD, including a lack of verified stressors and incomplete medical records. The veteran must provide more specific information about his alleged stressors in service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and Bronchial Asthma, finding that there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for chronic PTSD. However, additional development is needed before a final decision can be made.

The Board found that the appellant did not engage in combat with the enemy and could not verify any of his claimed stressful experiences. Therefore, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and hepatitis. The decision found that PTSD did not originate in service, and his hepatitis was not related to military service.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent disabling, effective September 3, 2003. Prior to this date, the disability was rated at 30 percent.

The veteran's claims for service connection for substance abuse and a higher rating for PTSD were denied by the VA Regional Office in Louisville, Kentucky.

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD does not warrant a rating higher than 50 percent, based on symptoms consistent with reduced reliability and productivity.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly PTSD, make him unemployable and the Board finds in favor of his TDIU claim.

The veteran's PTSD and residuals of shrapnel injury, left calf, Muscle Group XI are both rated at 10 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to adjudicate the veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining SSA records and affording the veteran a VA examination.

The Board has received a request for withdrawal of the appeal regarding service connection for PTSD. As such, the appeal is dismissed.

The veteran's claim for service connection of PTSD was granted effective May 16, 1995. The Board found that the diagnosis of PTSD existed since at least January 1995 when he was admitted to the PTSD clinic.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and numbness in the hands and feet secondary to exposure to Agent Orange, finding that there is no evidence of a verified stressor related to service or any link between current symptoms and service. The claim for numbness in the hands and feet was also not granted as presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for scheduling a videoconference hearing before the Board.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is related to his service, specifically handling human remains during active duty in Germany.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD due to a lack of credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors occurred.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has granted a higher rating of 70 percent.

The veteran's psychiatric disability, including PTSD, was not incurred or aggravated by active service.