PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2008

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for PTSD, esophageal cancer, and a bilateral foot disorder for purposes of accrued benefits due to her income exceeding the statutory limits.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining SSA records and VA medical records. The veteran's claim is also being reviewed to determine if she was exposed to a stressor in service that could support a PTSD diagnosis.

The Board found that the veteran does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD related to his service, and instead has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. As such, the claim for service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is related to military sexual trauma during service and grants service connection for PTSD.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and denied both higher initial disability ratings for PTSD and shell fragment wound residuals with Muscle Group XVIII injury.

The Board found that the veteran's psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and a personality disorder, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The preexisting conditions are presumed to have existed prior to service.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no evidence to support his in-service stressors and thus no direct link between his current condition and military service.

The Board has found that the veteran's PTSD is related to in-service sexual assaults and has granted service connection for PTSD.

The veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency, but does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 13, 2002 for the award of service connection for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the earliest date of receipt of a new claim (March 13, 2002) is later than the date entitlement arose.

The Board has determined that the evidence is not sufficiently developed to make a decision on the veteran's claims for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss. The case is therefore being remanded for further development, including scheduling of VA examinations.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any psychiatric disability, including PTSD. The veteran's claim for service connection will be remanded for further development.

The veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and PTSD, as well as his increased rating claims for right knee instability and arthritis, were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.

The veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July 19, 2000 for the grant of service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and determine when entitlement arose.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and reviewing the veteran's claims file.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100% disability rating for PTSD was denied as there is no evidence showing the condition existed prior to January 13, 2006.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to unclear evaluations and the need for additional examinations. The case will be reassessed based on current disability ratings.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied because there is no objective evidence to show that he engaged in combat with the enemy or performed any duty that would equate to combat. The stressors reported by the veteran were not verified.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the December 1982 rating decision that denied service connection for PTSD, as the evidence then of record supported a finding that the veteran's diagnosed disorder was not related to confirmed in-service stressors.