PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2008

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's PTSD was aggravated by military service, and thus grants service connection for PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, finding that there was insufficient evidence to verify his claimed in-service stressors and thus denying the claim.

The Board has granted an effective date of May 11, 2002 for the veteran's PTSD to a 100% evaluation.,The Board has also granted an effective date of December 11, 2001 for Total Disability due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent disabling, effective August 29, 2007. The disability picture has worsened to meet the criteria for a 100 percent rating as of June 8, 2004.

The VA has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there is no evidence of a diagnosed condition and insufficient supporting evidence to establish a link between any in-service stressor and current symptoms.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to a lack of competent medical evidence supporting a diagnosis and credible in-service stressor.

The veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent prior to April 4, 2007 and at 70 percent thereafter. The claim for higher ratings is denied.,PTSD symptoms have worsened since the initial rating in March 2004.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and compliance with previous orders. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of stressors and additional medical records. The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD remains pending.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and PTSD due to lack of evidence supporting the occurrence of in-service stressors and a lack of clinical evidence of these conditions during or following service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's sleep apnea, navel hernia, diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) are not related to service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board found that the appellant's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service due to a lack of credible supporting evidence for his claimed stressor event.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and arthritis in multiple joints due to cold injury, finding that there was no evidence of a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the veteran's current psychiatric conditions are related to her service, including any pre-existing mental health issues.

The veteran's appeal is to be remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and arranging for a PTSD examination.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination. The claims for increase in post-traumatic stress disorder and Dependents' Educational Assistance are deferred pending completion of the development.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD and the in-service stressors are presumed to have occurred due to combat. The veteran does not meet the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation until October 9, 2002, when his combined rating became 80 percent disabling. The Board denied the request for an effective date prior to this date.

The veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since May 1, 2002. The rating is based on the criteria for a 50% disability rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the PTSD rating from 50% to 30% effective October 1, 2004, was proper. The discontinuance of TDIU entitlement effective September 28, 1998, is also upheld.