PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for compliance with the notice requirements under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA) and for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional service records and examining the Veteran to determine the nature of his psychiatric and neurological disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to in-service stressors and the Board has determined that service connection for PTSD should be granted.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD but denied service connection for a skin disability. The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to his military service, while the skin condition is not shown to have been incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since November 29, 1999. The Board found that the disability warranted this rating based on symptoms such as occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 50 percent evaluation effective March 1, 2003. Prior to this date, the claim for an increased rating was denied.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, mood disorder, residuals of head injury (including cognitive and neurological disorders), and poor memory were denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to verify the Veteran's claimed stressors and obtain his personnel records.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since November 19, 2004. The rating is based on occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as panic attacks more than once a week; disturbances of motivation and mood; and difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including verification of his claimed combat-related stressors and obtaining VA and private medical records. A VA examination will be scheduled to determine the nature and etiology of any identified acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent disability rating for the entire initial rating period, as it meets the criteria for reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that exposure to noise during service is related to these conditions. The claim for PTSD was denied due to insufficient evidence of a combat-related stressor.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, are considered in determining whether he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed stressors are not credible and thus did not meet the criteria for service connection due to a lack of supporting evidence.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and did not reopen the claim of an acquired psychiatric disorder. The decision is considered to be correct based on the evidence at that time.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disability, including PTSD, is related to his service. The case is therefore being remanded for additional examination and evaluation.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be service-connected due to an in-service personal assault.