PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2007

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 16, 2002 for a 100 percent evaluation for PTSD. The evidence did not show that the veteran was entitled to such a rating prior to May 16, 2002.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD is not service-connected due to his own willful misconduct during an in-service altercation with a military police officer, which resulted in him being fined and temporarily reduced in rank. The stressor of head trauma from falling food trays was also ruled out as the cause of his PTSD.

The Board is remanding the case to verify the veteran's claimed stressors and obtain unit histories, operational reports, and morning reports for his service in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a disability rating of 50 percent, reflecting moderate psychosocial dysfunction with symptoms such as some neglect of personal hygiene, panic attacks more than once a week, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty in establishing effective social relationships.

The veteran is seeking service connection for PTSD, which they claim was caused by sexual assault during their military service. The case has been remanded to obtain additional evidence from the Social Security Administration.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there is insufficient evidence to establish a link between his claimed in-service stressors and his current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that his claimed in-service stressors were not corroborated and thus he did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD does not warrant an initial rating greater than 30 percent, as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if there is a link between his current symptoms and the claimed stressor of rocket attacks on Phu Bai during his Vietnam service.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Board found that his current psychiatric disability may not be service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including headaches, traumatic brain injury (TBI), a psychiatric disability to include PTSD, bilateral shoulder disability, lumbar strain, and cervical strain. The decision also denied his request for an increased rating for tinnitus.

The veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since May 23, 2005, reflecting significant impairment in social and occupational functioning.

The veteran's claims for degenerative disc disease and PTSD were remanded due to the need for further evaluation. The hearing loss claim was denied as there is no current disability meeting the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has granted an increased disability rating of 50 percent for the veteran's service-connected PTSD, effective from the date of the decision. The claim for TDIU remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence of a confirmed diagnosis of PTSD and the need for further development, including verifying an in-service stressor.

The Board denied the reopening of the claim for service connection for schizophrenia and denied all other claims due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and found that the veteran's residuals of abdominal wound disability are not more than a 30 percent rating. The right hip contracture and scar disabilities have been rated appropriately.

The veteran's PTSD has been productive of total occupational impairment since January 14, 2005. The RO granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD from November 1, 2005 to April 17, 2006 and a 100 percent rating effective June 1, 2006.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no credible evidence to support his claimed in-service stressors and thus no valid diagnosis of PTSD could be established.

The veteran's lumbar canal stenosis, status-post decompressive laminectomies and bilateral foraminotomies at the L4-5 is rated at 40 percent effective March 10, 2006. His bilateral hearing loss has a zero percent rating since his claims were filed in 1998. The veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent effective June 9, 2006.