PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2008

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, which is the maximum rating available under current VA guidelines.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine if the veteran's PTSD is related to service, given conflicting evidence regarding his claimed stressors.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current, confirmed diagnosis of PTSD and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations and a TDIU, finding that his PTSD symptoms did not warrant an evaluation greater than 30 percent on or after March 10, 2003.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including providing corrective notice and obtaining an opinion from a VA medical examiner regarding whether the veteran's death was due to alcohol abuse acquired as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The veteran's claims for hearing loss, sleep disorder, lethargy, PTSD, stomach problems, intestinal polyps, skin condition of the legs, face, and arms (previously claimed as itching), diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and headaches have all been denied. The RO found no evidence to support these conditions or their relationship to service.,The veteran's claims for PTSD were previously denied due to lack of verified stressor events. New evidence submitted since the previous denial does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board finds that the appellant is entitled to an initial disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD, reflecting significant impairment in social and occupational functioning.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and osteoarthritis of the right knee. The veteran did not have a current diagnosis of PTSD, and his right knee disability was first demonstrated many years after service and is not shown to be related to service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his PTSD.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the May 1998 rating decision is not new and material, and therefore, the claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD is not reopened.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the veteran's exposure to threats of bodily harm and imminent danger during his service in Iraq is sufficient evidence to establish a stressor related to his PTSD.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD that conforms to the criteria of DSM-IV.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The VA Board found that the veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating, as they do not cause occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and bipolar disorder, due to new evidence submitted by the veteran. The claim for GERD was denied as there is no current diagnosis of GERD in the record. Service connection for irritable bowel syndrome was also denied. The veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for psychiatric disability including PTSD and bipolar disorder was granted, with a rating of 100 percent effective from the date of her original claim. The issue of a rating in excess of 30 percent for right shoulder and chest strain (major extremity) remains pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is due to disease or injury incurred in active service, and therefore grants service connection for PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to failure to report for VA examinations and lack of verified in-service stressor, as well as insufficient evidence of a psychosis within one year after separation from active service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to unverified stressors. The RO must obtain personnel records, verify the veteran's Gulf War service and unit, and attempt to corroborate his reported stressors. A VA examination will be conducted to confirm the diagnosis of PTSD and determine if it is linked to any verified stressors.

The veteran's PTSD was initially evaluated at 30 percent prior to July 31, 2003. Since then, it has been rated at 50 percent effective June 1, 2004.