PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2008

The Board has remanded the case due to the need to investigate a claimed in-service stressor and to determine if the veteran's PTSD is related to any confirmed event.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, effective April 21, 2003. Service connection for right shoulder disorder, bilateral knee disability, left ear hearing loss, and right ear hearing loss are all granted on a secondary basis to his service-connected PTSD.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete medical records and failure to provide proper VCAA notice. The VA will need to obtain the veteran's SSA records, South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation records, and any VA treatment records from June 2004 to present. A VA audiological examination for rating purposes should also be conducted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no objective evidence of participation in combat and no independent verification of a stressor. As such, the claim for service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for PTSD. The evidence did not support a higher evaluation for PTSD, as it did not demonstrate significant impairment in social or occupational functioning.

The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and thus, credible supporting evidence of the stressor's occurrence is required. Since no such evidence was provided or corroborated, service connection for PTSD was denied.

The Board has found that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and there is no credible supporting evidence for his claimed stressors. Therefore, service connection for PTSD cannot be established.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's claimed stressors and a need for further examination.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA audiological examination. The issues of service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to August 25, 1998 for the grant of service connection for PTSD. The earliest date VA received the veteran's original claim was April 13, 1984.

The Board found that there was no credible evidence of the claimed stressors occurring during service, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD.

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The veteran's PTSD and renal calculi conditions were not granted increased ratings. The PTSD was found to have moderate social and occupational impairment, while the renal calculi condition did not require any medical intervention.

The veteran's PTSD is not rated higher than 70 percent, and his right ear hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's PTSD was granted a 50 percent evaluation prior to April 15, 2003, and an initial evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was also granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no evidence of a qualifying chronic disability or other basis to grant these claims.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent from July 31, 2006, and her major depression is rated at 50 percent from August 8, 1999. The veteran's amenorrhea and PID are each rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran experienced a stressor during service and has been diagnosed with PTSD. The VA examiner confirmed this diagnosis, but further evidence is needed to establish whether the current condition is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD was 70% disabling as of April 3, 2003 and he was found unemployable due to service-connected disabilities from that date. The effective dates for both a higher rating for PTSD and TDIU are set at February 2, 2004.

The veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the issue of service connection for a kidney disorder during a hearing before the Board. The remaining issues of service connection for prostate, schizoaffective disorders with depressed mood, and psychotic disorder (claimed as PTSD) are addressed in this remand.