PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to a lack of credible evidence supporting his claimed in-service stressors.

The case was remanded to the Board for further development and readjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The appeal is remanded to the Board for further development of evidence related to the Veteran's claimed stressor and a possible VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD was rated at 10 percent from March 30, 1968 through September 10, 2001 and then increased to 70 percent from September 11, 2001 through April 17, 2002.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for situational depression and PTSD have been reopened, but the claim for a chronic sleep disorder has been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD as there was no credible supporting evidence that his claimed in-service stressor occurred, and the preponderance of the evidence was against a finding that he has PTSD as a result of an in-service stressor.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100 percent rating for PTSD was denied as it was not factually ascertainable that the disability first became 100 percent disabling within one year prior to June 1, 1992.

The Veteran's claims to reopen service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a right elbow disorder, a right shoulder disorder, PTSD, hepatitis C, a right eye disorder, an ulcer, a scar of the right shoulder, and tinea versicolor were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Board denied service connection for a right leg disorder, left leg disorder, and PTSD. The claim for schizophrenia was remanded.

The Veteran was granted a 100 percent disability rating for anxiety disorder with PTSD, effective June 8, 2008, due to his inability to obtain or retain employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as there was no credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors occurred to support the current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD, stomach ulcer, post-operative scars on the abdomen, and scar residuals of a shell fragment wound of the left buttock were rated as non-compensable due to symptoms not meeting the criteria for higher ratings.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and bilateral hearing loss were denied due to a lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed in-service stressors, and no evidence of a current disability for the hearing loss.

The claim for an effective date earlier than November 1, 1999, for the award of service connection and award of compensation for PTSD with insomnia is denied as there is no evidence of a pending claim prior to that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder was denied because the medical evidence did not show a clinical diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated as 50 percent disabling due to symptoms such as disturbances of mood and difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity; including flattened affect; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory; disturbance of motivation and mood; and difficulty in establishing effective work and social relationships. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against granting an evaluation in excess of 50 percent under 38 C.F.R. § 4.130, DC 9411 at any time.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is rated at 40 percent due to constant or nearly constant symptoms refractory to therapy, including widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points, fatigue, sleep disturbance, stiffness, paresthesias, headache, gastrointestinal symptoms, depression, and anxiety.

The appeal is remanded to obtain additional evidence and conduct a new VA examination.

The appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's PTSD.