PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated medical records and schedule the appellant for a VA psychiatric examination. The appellant's claim of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by restricted affect, anxious and depressed mood, intrusive memories, nightmares, sleep disturbance, social isolation, exaggerated startle response, hypervigilance, irritability, auditory hallucinations, panic attacks, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, and mildly tangential and circumstantial speech. The Board finds that the Veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional service treatment and personnel records, particularly those from December 1990 to March 1991.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, effective October 13, 2005. The rating reflects occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.

The Board has determined that there was clear and unmistakable error in the January 1996 RO decision, which denied service connection for PTSD. The effective date of service connection is therefore set to January 13, 1995.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has determined that a 50 percent evaluation is warranted based on the severity of his symptoms.

The Board has determined that the effective date for a 100 percent rating for PTSD cannot be earlier than May 30, 2006.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his current psychiatric disabilities, including schizoaffective disorder, psychosis, PTSD, and bipolar complex.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is denied as there is no evidence of record that corroborates the claimed inservice stressors. The effective date claim for an increased rating of diabetes mellitus, type II, is also denied due to lack of factual basis.

The Veteran's PTSD has caused total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100% disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and increased ratings for his shell fragment wounds, chronic otitis media and mastoiditis of the right ear, and hearing loss of the right ear were denied. The claim for service connection for a neuropsychiatric disorder (to exclude PTSD) was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as the evidence did not show a direct relationship between his claimed conditions and his military service or any of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of PTSD is being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records.

The Board has vacated the August 29, 2008 decision and remanded the claims for further development.

The veteran's PTSD is associated with a reported stressor that occurred during his period of active military service, and the Board finds that this condition was incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD warrants a 70% disability rating, effective from the date of service connection.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD and is granting it, as new and material evidence was submitted.

The Board found no credible supporting evidence to verify the occurrence of the Veteran's claimed in-service PTSD-inducing stressor and denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned an initial 50 percent rating, which is higher than the originally assigned 30 percent. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not found to be incurred in or aggravated by service, and tinnitus was not found to have been incurred in service.