PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2008

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and reviewing the veteran's claims.

The veteran seeks a higher rating for his service-connected PTSD with alcohol dependence. The case is REMANDED to the RO for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and medical treatment records.

The veteran's PTSD has been determined to be so severe that it now warrants a 100 percent disability rating, representing the highest level of impairment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent evaluation, effective from the date of receipt of his claim.

The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat and none of his claimed stressors could be verified. Therefore, the veteran is not entitled to service connection for PTSD.

The Board granted the veteran's claim for a higher rating of 50 percent for PTSD, effective from April 2, 1997. The earlier effective date for tinnitus was also granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion on the impact of PTSD on the veteran's ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The veteran's PTSD with secondary dysthymic disorder was granted a 50 percent rating from February 22, 2002 to February 25, 2008. On and after February 26, 2008, the VA increased his rating to 100 percent due to worsening symptoms.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and PTSD have been rated as 70 percent disabling since March 5, 2004. The effective date for these ratings is now set to the earliest date of claim.,Effective March 5, 2004, the veteran also received a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and his case is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the veteran's current diagnosis of PTSD is related to her in-service stressors. The claim for arthritis of the right ankle remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine if the veteran's PTSD is related to service, including verifying specific stressors. The case is REMANDED for a VA examination and readjudication.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD, degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, and headaches have been granted. However, he is not entitled to higher initial ratings for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, finding that the evidence did not support these claims.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD and granted it, finding that there is sufficient evidence to link the veteran's current PTSD to his in-service stressors.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is due to in-service stressors and has been sufficiently corroborated, thus granting service connection for PTSD.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his PTSD, finding that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 50 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including PTSD, bipolar disorder, and bilateral pes planus, are not service-connected. The reasons for this determination include a lack of credible evidence supporting the occurrence of the claimed stressors related to these conditions.

The veteran's PTSD has been productive of total occupational and social impairment throughout the appeal period, warranting a 100 percent disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development and examination, including obtaining records from the veteran's treatment at Ozark Mental Health Clinic in 1993, verifying his claimed stressors, and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination.