PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, tinnitus, right knee disability as secondary to service-connected torn meniscus of the left knee, and lumbar spine disability as secondary to service-connected torn meniscus of the left knee have been denied. The evidence did not provide sufficient details about the stressors claimed by the veteran.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus and service connection for visual loss, headaches, and PTSD/anxiety disorder. The decision also addressed issues of entitlement to service connection for headaches and PTSD/anxiety disorder, which were remanded.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for consideration of additional evidence and readjudication. The veteran is entitled to service connection for certain conditions but the evaluation and timing need to be reconsidered.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD as there was no corroborated in-service stressor to support his diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further investigation is needed.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD symptoms, while impairing his occupational and social functioning, do not warrant an evaluation in excess of 30 percent.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated at 50 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The appeal for hypertension was denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional records from SSA and VA, as well as preparation of a Statement of the Case (SOC) for the claim regarding a compensable rating for corneal scar of the right eye.

The veteran's claims for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for PTSD were denied. The claim to reopen a previously denied claim of service connection for narcolepsy was granted, but the claim to reopen a previously denied claim of service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease was not reopened.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and for a VA psychiatric examination to determine the current nature and extent of his PTSD.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, but granted service connection for PTSD with a rating of 100 percent effective from August 5, 2005.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the veteran's claimed in-service stressors and determine if service connection for PTSD can be established.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for PTSD, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent prior to January 31, 2005 and greater than 70 percent on or after that date.

The veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for PTSD prior to January 27, 2005 remains active. The RO granted a 70 percent disability rating effective from January 27, 2005, but did not address the issue of a higher rating prior to that date.

The veteran's PTSD results in nearly total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100 percent schedular rating.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD is productive of no more than occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD more closely approximates occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking or mood. Therefore, a 70 percent evaluation is granted for the entire appeal period.

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD does not result in more than occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress. As a result, they denied an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the veteran's military service is linked to his diagnosis of PTSD and there are credible supporting statements of record.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating for this condition. The Board has determined that a higher evaluation is not warranted based on the evidence of record.