PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before a decision on the merits of the claim for service connection for PTSD can be reached. The Veteran's stressor statement and VA outpatient treatment reports indicate he served in Vietnam as a military policeman and cook, and experienced traumatic events during his service. However, verification of specific stressors such as an explosion at Cam Rahn Bay is needed.

The Veteran's PTSD claim is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination and the acquisition of additional medical records. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than August 8, 2003, for the grant of service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further development, including a new VA examination and obtaining additional medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent rating for the entire period of claim, effective June 1, 2004.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected depressive disorder, NOS and PTSD, as well as tinnitus, are denied. The highest available rating for tinnitus is 10 percent.

The Board dismissed the motion because it did not meet the specific requirements for pleading clear and unmistakable error in a Board decision.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent prior to February 23, 2007 and the Board finds this rating appropriate based on his symptoms such as anxiety, depression, flat affect, flashbacks, nightmares, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty in establishing effective work and social relationships. Since service connection was awarded, a higher rating is not warranted due to lack of severe or total social and occupational impairment.

The Board has ordered a remand to gather additional evidence and conduct a VA examination, including reviewing the Veteran's service treatment records and personnel files for any unexcused absences. The Veteran is also asked to provide information about all medical providers who have treated her psychiatric disorders.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD, finding that there was no evidence or communication from the Veteran indicating an intent to file a claim for PTSD prior to August 29, 2003.

The Veteran's PTSD and erectile dysfunction were not incurred or aggravated by active service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board found that the Veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and could not verify any of his claimed stressors. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a back disability, finding that there was no competent evidence of an in-service stressor or a link between current symptoms and active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for anxiety disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and psychotic disorder. The decision found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed condition of PTSD related to his military service, and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board found no credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors occurred, and thus denied service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by impairment in most areas of work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, and mood since April 12, 2005. The Board granted an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the September 2003 rating decision is not new and material, thus preventing the reopening of the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD.

The VA denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with DSM-IV and insufficient symptoms to meet the criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, left foot disorder, right foot disorder, right hip disorder, right knee disorder, or right leg disorder for VA purposes. As such, service connection is denied for all claims.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis is rated as 10 percent, but no higher. The issue of service connection for PTSD remains pending and requires further examination.