PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed to his hypertension, which was a significant condition contributing to his death. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since December 5, 2006, due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service and is granted.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and found that the appellant's actions resulting in the shooting death of another serviceman constituted willful misconduct.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since the appeal period began, and now meets the criteria for a 70 percent rating based on his symptoms.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Board hearing at the RO as he requested.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral foot disability, pes planus with hallux valgus and plantar fasciitis, was granted. The Veteran's service-connected left knee disabilities (chondromalacia patella and DJD) were not found to warrant a higher rating. The Veteran's PTSD was also granted but did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the relationship between his service-connected PTSD and other psychiatric conditions, as well as whether he is unemployable due to his PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for GERD as secondary to PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of qualifying active duty status during the Buffalo Creek Flood relief operation. The Veteran's National Guard service was not federalized, and thus did not qualify as active duty for VA benefits purposes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than January 31, 2003 for service connection of PTSD and a rating for PTSD from that date. The RO must obtain any treatment records since August 2006 and consider them in readjudicating these issues.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the appellant's claimed stressors and to consider secondary service connection for any psychiatric condition. The case is therefore being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to a lack of independent verification of a stressor in service and insufficient evidence supporting his diagnosis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for PTSD, hypertension, and a low back disorder. The Board also found that there was insufficient evidence to support the Veteran's claims for a neck disorder, numbness of the hands and feet, and basal cell carcinoma of the upper lip.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and low back disorder, finding no probative evidence of a current DSM-IV diagnosis of PTSD. The claim for low back disorder is remanded to the RO.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD due to a lack of credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors actually occurred, and there is no current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has determined that the current VA examination is inadequate for evaluating the appellant's PTSD, and therefore remands the case to obtain a new VA examination. The issue of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, including the issue of total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), will be addressed.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD with Major Depression, finding that the Veteran did not meet eligibility criteria for this benefit as of April 11, 1980.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to the need for a new VA psychiatric evaluation to assess his current PTSD severity.