PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2009

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD was denied as there is no evidence of a prior pending claim before September 17, 2004.

The Veteran's PTSD and right knee disability are currently rated at 50% and 10%, respectively, and the Board finds that neither condition warrants a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 10 percent prior to March 11, 2005 and increased to 50 percent as of March 11, 2005. The rating was further increased to 70 percent effective October 2, 2007.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, anxiety, depression, a heart disorder, hypertension, and bilateral knee disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease that would support these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and TDIU due to lack of verified in-service stressors. The Veteran's claimed stressors were not supported by credible supporting evidence.

The Veteran's hypertension is not rated as compensable.,There is no evidence of a current right knee disability.,There is no evidence of a current right shoulder disability.,There is no evidence of a current right lung disability.,There is no evidence of a current cervical spine disability.,There is no evidence of a current thoracic spine disability.,The Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for service connection.,There is no evidence of residuals of burst left ear drum other than hearing loss.,PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by service.,Tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service.,A missing partial spinal cord and congenital tethered cord syndrome were not incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining verification of a stressor and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has PTSD and whether it is related to his service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of PTSD is associated with a verified in-service stressor, and thus service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, diagnosed during service and continuing to the present, is related to his in-service noise exposure. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disability. There is no evidence linking erectile dysfunction to military service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied, while his claim for arthritis was granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, due to insufficient evidence of in-service stressors and a lack of medical evidence supporting a direct relationship between his claimed conditions and his military service.

The Board denied claims for service connection for PTSD, an increased rating for lumbosacral strain, TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the Board not adequately discussing evidence relevant to his claim for a higher rating under the 'totality of the circumstances' analysis, and did not make a credibility determination or address the applicability of staged ratings. The case should be readjudicated including consideration of whether staged ratings are appropriate at any point during the appeal period.

The Veteran's PTSD did not warrant an extraschedular evaluation from October 22, 2003 to October 21, 2007. Since October 22, 2007, the Veteran met the criteria for a 100 percent rating for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his service in Vietnam and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has ordered a remand due to incomplete records and the need for further examination. The Veteran's PTSD claim will be reconsidered based on new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD as there was no verified in-service stressor.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. For his acquired psychiatric disability, the Board noted no PTSD diagnosis but diagnosed him with depression and schizoaffective disorder, finding these conditions were more likely related to post-service on-the-job trauma rather than service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent effective April 15, 2009. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD has been granted.