PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2006

The VA determined that the veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD and thus cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran does not have PTSD linked by competent medical opinion to any incident of active military service and thus denied the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, which is one of the bases for establishing entitlement to DIC. Therefore, the DIC claim must be considered on the basis of a service-connected cause of death.

The Board has decided that the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD should be remanded to allow for further development, including a psychiatric examination.

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

The veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a seizure disorder (claimed as head injury) due to lack of evidence of current disability. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder and/or depression, remains pending.

The veteran's PTSD is manifested by poor sleep, recurrent nightmares, intrusive thoughts, low energy, marked irritability, emotional numbing, social withdrawal, hypervigilance, suicidal ideation and homicidal ideation, anhedonia, and GAF scores of as low as 35. The criteria for the initial assignment of a 100 percent disability evaluation for PTSD have been met.

The VA denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for the veteran's PTSD from March 6, 1990, to August 1, 1994, as his condition did not meet the criteria for such an increase.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and TDIU, finding that new evidence did not reopen his claim and that he was not entitled to a TDIU rating due to lack of service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claims for PTSD and headaches were denied, while the claim to reopen his low back disorder was also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is service-connected as it was incurred during his active military service.

The Board has granted a 70 percent disability rating for service-connected PTSD, effective from the date of service connection.

The Board granted an effective date of May 26, 1992 for the award of a TDIU based on service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's major depression is related to his service-connected residuals of poliomyelitis and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, finding that his depressive psychosis was not due to the September 1995 EMG performed by VA.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and anxiety disorder (claimed as post-traumatic stress disorder) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran's claim for PTSD was denied due to the lack of credible evidence supporting his claimed stressors.,Service connection for renal involvement with microalbuminuria and hypertension as secondary to service-connected Type 2 diabetes is not warranted because there is no competent evidence dated earlier than October 1, 2004, which would tend to link these conditions to the service-connected diabetes.,The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1114(s) and 38 C.F.R. § 3.350(i)(1) is not warranted as there is no evidence showing he had a service-connected disability rated as total and additional service-connected disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or more prior to October 1, 2004.,The veteran's claim for an evaluation of 100 percent for coronary artery disease, status post coronary artery bypass graft surgery, is not warranted due to the absence of medical records showing a workload of 3 METs resulting in weakness and fatigue on or before October 1, 2004.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed for the appellant's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The case will be remanded to allow further examination and review.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, as there were no credible corroborating evidence of his claimed in-service stressors.