PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2008

The Board found that the veteran's low back disorder did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and there was no evidence linking it to his military service. The claim for PTSD was remanded due to insufficient verification of stressors.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD as the claimed in-service stressor had not been sufficiently corroborated and was inconsistent with the available evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service and denied this claim. The issue of service connection for PTSD is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding a verified stressor.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent evaluation, effective March 2, 2007. The evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher initial evaluation.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected PTSD, finding that the symptoms did not warrant a higher rating.

The veteran's PTSD claim is granted, but his skin disorder claim is denied as there is no evidence linking the current condition to service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD does not meet the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating due to insufficient evidence of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied due to the unverifiable nature of his claimed stressor. His claims for higher ratings for bilateral knee disability and right foot disability were also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for alcohol abuse and substance abuse as secondary to his service-connected schizophrenia and PTSD, as well as his claim for an earlier effective date for his service connection for schizophrenia, paranoid type, and PTSD. The issues of new and material evidence were also addressed.

The Board has determined that the veteran meets the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and there is credible supporting evidence that one of his claimed stressors occurred during service. The Board also found medical evidence establishing a link between the diagnosed PTSD and an inservice stressor, thus granting the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected PTSD substantially and materially contributed to his death from a cardiac arrhythmia. As such, service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran meets the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and that this condition is linked to an in-service stressor. As such, service connection for PTSD will be granted.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and his left shoulder arthritis with a history of instability and dislocation (minor) is rated at 10 percent. Service connection for hypertension was granted effective December 29, 2003, and service connection for spondylolysis with anterolisthesis, L1-S1, was denied.

The veteran has been diagnosed with PTSD and his claimed in-service stressors have been corroborated by service records. His PTSD is medically linked to these stressors, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verifying a specific stressor and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the veteran's PTSD is related to this verified event.

The veteran's PTSD has caused total occupational and social impairment since the initial grant of service connection, warranting a 100 percent disability rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, Diabetes Mellitus (Type II), Arteriosclerotic heart disease, and gangrene. The denial was based on a lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed stressors related to PTSD, and the absence of direct or presumptive service connection for diabetes due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 70 percent disability evaluation from January 18, 2005 to July 31, 2005.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left shoulder disability is not service-connected, and his PTSD warrants a 50 percent rating effective January 31, 2005.

The Board has determined that there is not sufficient evidence to establish service connection for PTSD or an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD. The veteran's claims have been denied.