PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2006

The veteran's claims for increased PTSD evaluation and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The veteran's PTSD is granted as secondary to military sexual trauma, and she is assigned a 30% rating for her post-concussion headaches.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The RO had already granted these conditions with effective dates as of September 17, 1999, June 26, 2001, and April 8, 2002 respectively.

The veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability was granted with an effective date of August 8, 2002. The other claims were remanded to the Appeals Management Center.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 12, 2002, for a 100 percent rating for PTSD, finding that there was no evidence of total occupational and social impairment warranting such a rating within one year prior to the application.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board denied a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed the appeal concerning service connection for hepatitis C.

The Board denied reopening the claim of service connection for PTSD due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting VA psychiatric and psychological examinations to assess his current PTSD condition.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, effective January 3, 2002. The disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria for a 70 percent evaluation.

The Board has granted a 70 percent evaluation for the service-connected PTSD effective January 3, 2002. The veteran's claim for an increased rating remains pending.

The Board finds that the veteran's PTSD is causally related to his confirmed in-service stressor, specifically his service in the Persian Gulf War. As such, the claim for service connection for PTSD is granted.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD is manifested by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The RO granted a 50 percent evaluation for the condition.

The Board found that the veteran does not currently have PTSD and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for various conditions, including a right ankle disability, skin disorder, bilateral foot disorder, neck disability, bilateral hip pain, PTSD, tinnitus, and hypertension were all denied by the VA. The appeals are not about service connection at all.

The veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder is being remanded due to the need to apply both old and new regulations.

The veteran's PTSD is service-connected, but there is no evidence of a current digestive disorder or nervous stomach to support his claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claims for PTSD and a bilateral foot condition, claimed as fungus of the feet, were not granted. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The veteran's claims for PTSD, anxiety, and depression were denied as there is no credible evidence of an in-service stressor. The VA examinations did not find a diagnosis of PTSD based on the DSM-IV criteria.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for otomycosis and PTSD, but denied both on the merits. The veteran's TDIU claim is also denied as his disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The veteran's PTSD was diagnosed and attributed to his military service, and the Board found in favor of granting this claim due to the evidence being at least evenly balanced.