PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's PTSD was initially rated at 10 percent, and the RO increased it to 50 percent effective October 29, 2002. The veteran continues to disagree with this rating.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining new evidence and updating the record with any ongoing mental health treatment records. The claim will be reconsidered after this additional information has been considered.

The veteran's PTSD results in nearly total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100 percent disability rating effective April 5, 2005.

The VA denied the veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Board found that there was no evidence to support the veteran's claimed stressors and concluded that his current psychiatric disability is not related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a TDIU, finding that there was no formal or informal claim for a TDIU prior to February 8, 2002. The only service-connected disability at that time was a scar on the left thigh rated 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric condition, other than PTSD. The veteran was also denied initial evaluations for his left shoulder and forearm disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed low back disability, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus are not service-connected as there is no credible evidence to support the occurrence of the claimed in-service stressors for PTSD. The veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions do not meet the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has granted reopening of the claim for PTSD, but did not make a decision on whether to grant service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and hepatitis C are remanded due to issues related to the identification of stressors and potential medical examinations.

The veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since March 28, 2001. The rating is based on occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, impaired judgment, and disturbances of motivation and mood.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection of a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD and also denied service connection for PTSD. The veteran's claims were based on his reported in-service stressors, but these were not corroborated.

The Board found that the evidence received since the October 1993 rating action is not new and material, thus denying the request to reopen the claim for service connection for PTSD.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and hypertension due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD symptoms have manifested occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent disability rating for the entire period of claim.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for VCAA notice and examination, as well as obtaining medical records. The veteran's claims will be reconsidered after these actions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further examination. The issues of service connection for PTSD, increased ratings for right hand disability, lumbosacral strain, and cervical strain remain in appellate status.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical information and a new psychiatric examination to determine the extent of his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not engage in combat with an enemy and there is no corroboration of his claimed stressors. Therefore, service connection for PTSD cannot be established.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to verify the veteran's claimed stressors and determine if he currently has PTSD, as well as whether any heart disorder is related to his PTSD. The RO must also schedule a VA examination to assess these issues.