PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Veteran's PTSD more closely approximates an occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a disability rating of 50 percent.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for PTSD. The case is now REMANDED for further development, including a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is service-connected, as supported by medical evidence and corroborated stressor events. Service connection for a dental disability was not granted due to lack of evidence meeting legal requirements.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms increased from March 19, 2003 to August 14, 2008, warranting a 50 percent evaluation. From August 15, 2008, the symptoms were severe enough to warrant a 70 percent evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, adenocarcinoma of the omentum, was not caused by a service-connected condition or related to his military service.

The Board found no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, being incurred during service and denied the claim. The Veteran's left knee disorder is also not considered to be related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 50 percent disabling, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, impairment of short- and long-term memory, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty establishing effective work and social relationships.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluation of his knee disability, PTSD, back condition, and early systolic murmur were denied. The claim to reopen the early systolic murmur was granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% and his hypertension remains at 10%. The Board found the evidence supported a 50% rating for PTSD but not a higher one.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing the Veteran with VCAA notice regarding his claim for service connection for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed PTSD is not incurred or aggravated by active military service, as there are no verified in-service stressors and his diagnosis of PTSD was based on unverified accounts from him.

The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied his claim for service connection. For tinnitus, while the evidence is in approximate balance as to whether it is due to acoustic trauma in service, the benefit of doubt has been given to the Veteran.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The claims for service connection for PTSD and an eye disability were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for tinnitus, recurrent episodes of otitis externa, PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The maximum schedular rating of 10 percent is the highest available under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has reopened the claim of service connection for PTSD, finding new and material evidence. However, it has not determined whether the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors actually occurred.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted as the evidence supports a finding that his current PTSD symptoms are related to his experiences in Vietnam.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, including dysthymia and PTSD, is denied as it arose from her illegal drug abuse during service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD as secondary to PTSD, finding that there is no evidence supporting this relationship.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by cardiac arrest, due to (or as a consequence of) septic shock, which was contributed to by his service-connected PTSD and COPD. Therefore, the appeal for service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and an updated VA examination.