PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Board found no verified in-service stressor relating the Veteran's PTSD to his active duty service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board found credible evidence of the Veteran's in-service personal assault stressor and granted service connection for PTSD, finding that all reasonable doubt should be resolved in his favor.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a valid diagnosis of PTSD based on verified in-service stressors and denied his claim for service connection for PTSD. The issue of non-service-connected disability pension benefits was also addressed, but as it is unclear from the decision whether this was part of the original appeal or added later, it should be remanded to determine if the Veteran wishes to pursue this issue.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for residuals of rupture of left scrotum, tinnitus, and psychiatric disorders (including PTSD and MDD), as well as his claim for TDIU. The decision also noted that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for residuals of rupture of left scrotum.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD was manifested by total occupational and social impairment as of October 27, 2003, warranting a 100 percent evaluation. Therefore, an effective date from this date is granted for accrued benefits purposes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD.,For the period prior to September 16, 2005, the Veteran's left eye disability warranted a rating of 30 percent. For the period after September 16, 2005, the Veteran's left eye disability warrants a rating of 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his service, specifically an attack on his ship while he was aboard. As a result, the claim for service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Veteran's claim for a permanent and total disability evaluation due to PTSD is being remanded for further development, including obtaining an opinion on whether the Veteran can maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records from before 2000 and after May 2007. The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to assess the severity of his low back disability and psychiatric conditions, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations. The TDIU claim will be deferred pending completion of this additional development.

The Board found no evidence of service connection for PTSD or tinnitus, and denied the claims based on lack of medical evidence linking current disabilities to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted. The issue of a rating in excess of 50 percent for an anxiety disorder with dysthymia remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been rated as 50 percent disabling since April 26, 2006. The disability is characterized by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, nightmares, hypervigilance, and avoidance of reminders related to his military experiences.

The Veteran's service connection claims for an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, depression, anxiety) and sleep deprivation were denied. The Board found that there is no current evidence of a diagnosed sleep deprivation disability or any persistent symptoms thereof. Additionally, the Board determined that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disability related to his service. As such, the claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have PTSD, and therefore, service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for entitlement to an effective date earlier than January 18, 1995, for the assignment of a 100 percent schedular rating for PTSD. The issues regarding a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD from July 26, 1994 through January 17, 1995 and a compensable rating prior to July 26, 1994 were also denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent, the maximum schedular rating available.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and lumbar spine disability have been granted increased ratings, and he is now eligible for a TDIU based on his combined evaluation of 80 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the burns are not rated higher. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a psychiatric examination.