PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2008

The veteran's PTSD is currently manifested by a total occupational and social impairment due to persistent danger of hurting himself, resulting in a 100% disability rating effective from January 23, 2007.

The Board denied the reopening of a claim for service connection for PTSD due to lack of new and material evidence, as there was no verified in-service stressor.

The Board has vacated its January 2008 decision and remanded the case for further development, including a search for counseling records from MCAS El Toro Family Services and medical records from Dr. Kathleen Ward.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection of PTSD, concluding that there is no current diagnosis and insufficient evidence linking his claimed inservice stressor to his current condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information on whether the veteran is unemployable solely as a result of his service-connected PTSD. The veteran needs to be scheduled for VA examinations to determine this.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's sexual assault and its impact on his PTSD. The veteran needs to provide additional information or evidence from alternative sources.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for a VA psychiatric examination to determine if he meets the criteria for diagnosis of PTSD based on his verified stressor in service.

The Board found that the veteran has not been diagnosed with PTSD and there is no verification of the alleged stressors. Therefore, service connection for PTSD was denied.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is necessary to determine if the veteran has PTSD related to an in-service rape and whether his schizophrenia is secondary to PTSD. The issues of service connection for PTSD and schizophrenia are being remanded.

The veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and there is no evidence of a verified in-service stressor for PTSD. The claims for COPD, Hepatitis C, and PTSD were denied as the conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD diagnosis is not based on a verified in-service stressor and thus denied service connection for PTSD.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran is incompetent for VA benefits purposes due to his mental illness and problems with substance abuse, which prevent him from managing his affairs, including disbursement of funds.

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD causes occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks, warranting a 30 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD and dysthymic disorder are related to his service, consistent with his duties as a corpsman. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board found that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim for service connection for PTSD, but denied the claim due to a lack of verified in-service stressors.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to corroborate the veteran's reported stressors and obtain any additional medical records.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 70 percent evaluation of PTSD is being remanded due to procedural issues related to the applicability of Muehl v. West, 13 Vet. App. 159 (1999).

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for PTSD and a heart disorder, including HTN. The evidence did not show that the current conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case for an appropriate hearing to be scheduled due to a retired Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the claim for service connection for PTSD. The appellant was scheduled for a VA examination, but failed to report. The case is now remanded to obtain the correct address and reschedule the appellant for a new VA examination.