PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since March 4, 2005, reflecting significant impairment in social and occupational functioning.

The Board has denied the Veteran's appeal due to a lack of corroborated stressor events in service. The case is now remanded for further development, including searching morning reports from May and June 1965 and obtaining additional information about two other reported stressors.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, headaches, and chest pain as they are not related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for emphysema was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have current evidence of emphysema and thus could not establish a service connection. For PTSD, the Veteran received a 70% rating from June 19, 1994 (the date of his claim) to October 15, 2008, but no higher as he did not meet the criteria for a 70% or higher rating thereafter.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since September 23, 2008. The claim for a higher rating prior to that date is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for further development, including verification of stressors and a psychiatric examination.

The Board has ordered a remand for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting a psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is due to verified stressor events during his service, and thus grants service connection for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD and Parkinson's disease are related to service, with PTSD being linked to a verified in-service stressor and Parkinson's disease potentially linked to herbicide exposure. Service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since the effective date of service connection, and no higher rating is warranted.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he requested withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment during the period of September 17, 2004 through May 8, 2006.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and clarification of the veteran's service connection claims, including verification of stressors and examination.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since November 6, 2008. The rating is based on the criteria for a 70% disability rating due to deficiencies in work, family relations, and mood.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a sleep disorder as secondary to depression and/or PTSD, finding that there was no competent objective evidence of in-service stressors for PTSD and that the sleep disorder did not have a direct relationship with any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development regarding the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors and a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, testicular pain, and hypertension have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for residuals of dental trauma, PTSD, and secondary service connection for a lumbar spine disorder are all granted. The cervical spine disorder claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hepatitis C, and PTSD. The claim for reopening the porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) was remanded to the RO.