PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2007

The Board has granted an increased disability rating of 70 percent for the veteran's service-connected PTSD, reflecting significant impairment in social and occupational functioning.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service personnel records and treatment records, as well as scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the veteran has PTSD related to his service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of death due to PTSD and medications, as well as her eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under Chapter 35. The veteran's fatal conditions were not found to be related to his active military service or service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 100 percent, representing total occupational and social impairment due to persistent sleep disorder with nightmares, intrusive recollections, flashbacks, and social isolation.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a chronic acquired psychiatric disability or a cardiovascular disability that is related to his service. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for PTSD from January 13, 2003 to May 4, 2005. The veteran's PTSD is characterized by reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect, circumstantial speech, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, impairment of short- and long-term memory, impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty establishing effective work and social relationships.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service medical records and scheduling a psychiatric examination. The veteran's claims for PTSD service connection and total disability rating will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Board found that the veteran does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and therefore denied service connection.

The Board determined that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim of service connection for PTSD, and denied the claim.

The veteran's PTSD has been rated at the highest available evaluation (100%) since September 22, 2004, due to total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for PTSD and a heart condition cannot be granted as there is no credible evidence to support the occurrence of the claimed stressors or service connection, respectively.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus. The reasons include uncorroborated stressor accounts, lack of evidence linking current conditions to service, and negative clinical records.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment due to lack of loss of use of feet, hands, or vision. The Board found that his service-connected conditions have not resulted in permanent loss of use of one or both feet.

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD does not warrant a rating in excess of 50 percent, as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for total occupational and social impairment.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of December 27, 2001, for a 100% disability rating for PTSD. The RO had already granted this increased rating in November 2002.

The Board has granted a rating of 100 percent for PTSD effective February 16, 2005. The veteran's initial claim was denied in August 2001 with a 30 percent evaluation. The appeal is based on the need for an earlier effective date.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed schizoaffective disorder and PTSD were not incurred or aggravated during his military service, and it is not shown that any current psychiatric disability is related to service. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Board denied the reopening of the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, not to include PTSD due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied an increased rating for bilateral high frequency hearing loss and a higher initial evaluation than 70 percent for PTSD prior to February 8, 2006.

The veteran's claim for PTSD was denied due to lack of a diagnosis. The claim for a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service connected disabilities under 38 C.F.R. § 3.324 was also denied as there is no evidence that the disabilities clearly interfere with employability.