PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2008

The Board has granted an initial rating of 10 percent for PTSD and a separate initial evaluation of 10 percent for the right knee disability under DC 5010. The veteran's service-connected conditions have been rated based on their direct impact without any presumption or secondary linkage.

The veteran's PTSD with alcohol dependence has been rated at 50 percent for the entire period of claim, which is more than the initially assigned 30 percent rating. The Board found that his symptoms warranted a higher evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran does not have PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, or sinusitis and denied all three claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of reopening his PTSD service connection due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing.

The veteran's PTSD is manifested by deficiencies in most areas, including family relations and mood, due to symptoms such as sleep disturbances, anxiety, panic attacks/flashbacks, irritability, impaired impulse control, social isolation, and an inability to establish and maintain effective relationships. The Board has determined that the criteria for a 70 percent evaluation have been met.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to the veteran's actions resulting in the shooting death of another serviceman, finding that such actions constituted willful misconduct.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on this.

The Board has determined that the veteran incurred PTSD during active service and granted his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the motion for reversal or revision of the January 1998 Board decision on grounds of CUE, finding that there was no outcome determinative error in the original decision.

The Board found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and thus service connection was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there were no verified stressors and thus no basis to establish a link between current PTSD symptoms and service.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a corroborated in-service stressor upon which a diagnosis of PTSD may be based, and therefore denied service connection for PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service stressor and insufficient supporting evidence from other sources.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD and back disability are not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and hypertension as secondary to PTSD. The in-service stressor event was not corroborated, and new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development regarding the veteran's claimed PTSD, including verifying in-service stressors and obtaining private treatment records. The veteran is also to be provided with a VA medical examination by a psychiatrist.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development, including scheduling a hearing before the Board at the local office in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Board has determined that the appellant did not timely file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) with respect to the March 2002 rating decision, which awarded service connection for PTSD and eczema. As such, the appeal is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected PTSD did not warrant a 100% disability rating prior to May 1, 2008. The effective date for the current 100% rating is therefore May 1, 2008.