PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2007

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim of service connection for PTSD due to new and material evidence submitted since the last final denial. However, the Board finds that the appellant does not have PTSD due to his in-service experiences.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to lack of corroborated in-service stressors. The claim for reopening the residuals of frostbite of the feet was granted, but no new evidence was provided.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD and granted it, finding that new and material evidence had been submitted. Service connection was also established for PTSD based on in-service stressors related to exposure to combat conditions during service.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal for all service connection claims.

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD, while causing significant impairment in social and occupational functioning, did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 50 percent.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for hypertension and PTSD due to incomplete records, including VA outpatient clinic records from before April 2001 and treatment records from Wilford Hall Medical Center. The RO/AMC is also required to obtain a clarifying medical opinion regarding whether the veteran currently suffers from PTSD as defined by DSM-IV.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and PTSD were denied by the RO. The veteran was not granted a higher rating for either condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding a verified stressor event in service, and the need for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD and Major Depression were not incurred or aggravated during active service. The evidence does not support a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted as the Board finds that his claimed combat stressors during active duty in Korea are credible and supports a diagnosis of PTSD.

The veteran's claims for service connection for tinea pedis and hypertension, as well as an increased rating for PTSD, were denied. The claim for a higher rating for PTSD was granted but the RO did not provide a specific effective date.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, secondary to a personal assault in service, finding that there was no verified occurrence of an in-service sexual assault and therefore, the veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. The RO denied his claims for increased ratings for the scars of the left elbow and hip, as well as limitation of motion of the left hip. The RO granted a separate 10 percent disability evaluation for limitation of motion of the left hip as a residual manifestation of the service-connected scar.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations are not ready for appellate review due to incomplete records, including missing service medical records. The case is remanded to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) in Washington, DC, for further development.

The veteran's PTSD results in severe symptoms that have significantly impacted his social and occupational functioning, warranting a 100% evaluation.

The VA has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent evaluation, which is the maximum schedular rating available for this condition.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for PTSD due to new and material evidence. However, the case is still pending as it needs further verification of the inservice stressor.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD as there was no verified in-service stressor and no current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 8, 2001 for the grant of service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder.

The VA has determined that the veteran's PTSD does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 30 percent, as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.