PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2008

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development of military records to corroborate the veteran's claimed in-service stressors.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verifying in-service stressors and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the veteran meets the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inconsistencies in the prior VA examination and lack of compliance with previous remand instructions.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no verified in-service stressor and thus insufficient evidence to establish a link between her current symptoms and an in-service event.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 30 percent disability rating, reflecting occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. The TDIU claim is also granted.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including verification of stressors and VA examinations to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The veteran's claim of service connection for heart disease, as secondary to his service-connected PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development including a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further verification of a reported stressor related to PTSD.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings for diabetes mellitus, service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome and PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of evidence.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent disabling, effective January 2004. His diabetes mellitus is rated at 20 percent disabling and both conditions do not render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for further examination. The veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depression, schizoaffective disorder, anxiety, adjustment disorder, bipolar disorder, and personality disorder, are being evaluated.

The veteran's PTSD, chronic lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease at L5-S1 and bilateral sacroiliac arthralgia, and residuals of laparotomy due to bowel injury are all rated as 30%, 40%, 10% respectively. The combined disability rating is 70%. The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The veteran is claiming service connection for PTSD. The RO/AMC will need to verify the presence of an in-service stressor and conduct a VA examination to determine if the diagnosed PTSD is related to service.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with DSM-IV and did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of credible evidence linking his current symptoms to an in-service stressor.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for PTSD, effective from September 19, 2003. The veteran's PTSD produces occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. His PTSD was rated at 30 percent, his bilateral hearing loss did not warrant a compensable rating, and he does not have a respiratory disorder due to asbestos exposure.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is service-connected as it is related to his combat experiences in Vietnam.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities (post-traumatic stress disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus) render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, anxiety disorder/PTSD/memory loss, and residuals of a burn injury to the left eye as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The VA has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent evaluation, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.