PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was denied as there is no evidence linking the current diagnoses of anxiety and depression to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional records and provide a supplemental opinion.

The Veteran's initial claim for PTSD was granted with a 30 percent rating effective October 17, 2003. A subsequent increase to 50 percent was granted on January 8, 2009. The current appeal is about whether the Veteran should receive higher ratings prior to and since that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of service connection for PTSD, finding that no prior formal or informal claim existed before August 6, 2001.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no verified in-service stressor and the Veteran did not engage in combat. The Board found that credible supporting evidence of the actual occurrence of an in-service stressor could not consist only of after-the-fact medical nexus.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA psychiatric examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess his diabetes mellitus, PTSD, and bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need to verify his claimed stressors and obtain additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining deck logs from the USS Constellation and other relevant records.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, hypertension, and a heart disability were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions and the evidence does not support a finding that they are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his PTSD contributed to his coronary artery disease and ultimately caused his death. The claim for burial benefits is remanded due to a lack of a timely statement of the case.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and diabetes mellitus, were denied as the evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service. The diagnoses of PTSD are based on in-service stressors which are not corroborated by service records.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran was not granted any new or material evidence to reopen his claims, nor did he meet the criteria for a higher rating under the schedular guidelines.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to inconsistencies in the reported stressful incidents and a need for further verification.

The Board has determined that the earliest possible effective date for the award of TDIU is May 20, 1998. The Veteran was found to be unemployable due to his service-connected PTSD as of this date.

The Veteran's PTSD is productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking or mood. The VA has granted a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD was a contributory cause of his death from abdominal aortic aneurysm, coronary artery disease, and hypertension. As such, the claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death is granted.

The Board has determined that there is sufficient reasonable doubt regarding the Veteran's competency, thus restoring his status as competent for VA purposes.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the Veteran's claimed stressors and to determine if his current psychiatric disorders are related to service. The case is therefore being remanded for further action.

The Board found that the appellant's service-connected disabilities do not result in his inability to care for any of his daily personal needs without regular personal assistance from others, nor do they result in an inability to protect himself from the hazards and dangers of his daily environment. Therefore, he is not entitled to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance.