PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability and an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD. The Veteran's heart disability was not shown to be incurred during service or due to his service-connected PTSD, while the PTSD did result in occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression is currently rated at 30 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Veteran's PTSD disability rating was granted, but the RO assigned a 30 percent rating. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher initial evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have PTSD and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to make him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is granted.

The Veteran's claim of an effective date earlier than December 5, 2002, for the assignment of a 70 percent rating for PTSD was denied. The claims of service connection for erectile dysfunction and initial ratings for asthma were granted with specific ratings assigned.

The Board found that the Veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and his stressor accounts are not credible. As a result, service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD claim was denied as there is no competent diagnosis of PTSD based on a corroborated in-service stressor.,The Veteran's neurological disability (migraines, whiteouts, or TIAs) and hypertension were not related to active service and were not caused or aggravated by his claimed PTSD.

The Veteran's diagnosed PTSD is based, in part, on a verified stressor from his period of active service. The Board finds that the evidence supports granting service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated at 30 percent, and the Board found that it does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation based on the severity of symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, but he was granted an initial evaluation of 10 percent for varicose veins of the left leg. The appeal is REMANDED to determine if the Veteran engaged in combat with the enemy and to verify his alleged in-service stressors.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, which does not warrant a higher rating. The combined ratings of his service-connected disabilities do meet the schedular requirements for TDIU, but he is unable to obtain or pursue substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for the issuance of a supplemental statement of the case regarding his increased rating claim and earlier effective date claim.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been found to warrant a 70 percent evaluation, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claim can be adjudicated, including obtaining a VA examination to clarify whether the Veteran has a psychiatric disorder and if so, whether it is related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD was not incurred or aggravated during his military service and denied the claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted, and his increased rating claim for pleural fibrosis due to asbestos exposure is also granted. The Veteran now receives a 10 percent disability rating for pleural fibrosis.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and there is no evidence to support his claim for service connection. The Veteran's testimony regarding an incident during service was not sufficient to establish a stressor, as it did not corroborate with independent evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since January 12, 2007. The evidence shows symptoms including poor sleep, nightmares, depression, hypervigilance, detachment from family members, and occasional auditory hallucinations. These symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.