PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD. The veteran was exposed to a traumatic event during his time in Vietnam, which is believed to have contributed to his current diagnosis of PTSD.

The veteran does not have current PTSD and the Board finds that she did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and depression was denied as there is no evidence of combat involvement or verified in-service stressors, making it impossible to establish a causal link between the claimed conditions and his military service.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and he meets the schedular criteria for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, and TDIU. The anxiety disorder was rated at 30 percent, PTSD was not established as a separate condition, arteriosclerotic heart disease was not related to service, tinnitus was not diagnosed, and there were no new and material evidence found for the claim of migraine headaches. The veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder did not preclude him from performing substantially gainful employment.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 70% and he is granted TDIU. The claims for hypertension, meningitis, bilateral hearing loss, a skin disability, and a liver disability are all denied.

The veteran is seeking service connection for a mental disorder, including PTSD and depression. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to establish the nature and etiology of her diagnosed mental disorder.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling an examination. The case will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's appeal is dismissed as he withdrew his claims for service connection of eczema, including claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure; entitlement to an earlier effective date for service connection of peripheral neuropathy of left lower extremity and entitlement to an earlier effective date for service connection of peripheral neuropathy of right lower extremity.

The Board has granted a 100% evaluation for PTSD, effective January 22, 2004. The veteran's peripheral neuropathy is being referred to the RO for further review.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and residuals of herbicide exposure, including birth defects in his children, was denied. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board denied increased ratings for arteriosclerotic heart disease and hypertension, but granted service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder. The veteran's appeal of the PTSD issue was withdrawn.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that her account of military sexual assaults was not credible and no alternative sources provided evidence to support her claims.

The veteran's PTSD is manifested by severe symptoms including depression, anger, and suicidal ideation. The Board has determined that the evidence in this case places the disability at a level of 70 percent, warranting an increased evaluation.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD did not meet the criteria for a total rating for individual unemployability (TDIU) from July 3, 2001 to June 1, 2002.

The Board has determined that the service-connected PTSD contributed substantially or materially in producing the veteran's death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected PTSD, which was initially granted with a 30 percent disability rating effective June 2002. The RO has now found clear and unmistakable error in the effective date of the award and assigned a new effective date of September 5, 2002. However, the veteran's claim for an increased rating remains pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and PTSD, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or exposure to these conditions. The claim for TDIU based on service-connected disabilities was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and Pancreatitis, finding no clear diagnosis of PTSD related to an in-service stressor and concluding that the veteran did not have a current diagnosis of PTSD. The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's pancreatitis was not caused by or aggravated by his diabetes mellitus.

The case is being remanded due to the appellant's request for a Travel Board hearing. The veteran should be scheduled for such a hearing at the earliest opportunity.