PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess his ability to work due to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions, including exposure to asbestos and combat stressors.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity or deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The Board finds that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's PTSD meets the criteria for a 70 percent rating.

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD that is based on verified stressors, and therefore service connection for PTSD cannot be granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no verified in-service stressor and thus could not establish a nexus between his claimed condition and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted with a 70% rating effective March 31, 2009. The appeal is dismissed as there are no remaining issues to address.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of his PTSD claim, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. His TDIU claim is also part of this process.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and for higher ratings for sensory loss of the left hand and left wrist scars due to lack of verification of a claimed in-service stressor. The Veteran needs to provide additional details about his alleged stressor, which will be verified by the U.S. Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC). If confirmed, the Veteran should undergo a VA psychiatric examination to determine if he has PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder as a result of this stressor. Additionally, the Veteran's sensory loss and left wrist scar disabilities need to be reassessed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD and panic disorder are service-connected due to a verified in-service stressor involving witnessing carnage scenes on the 'Highway of Death' during her deployment.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities together prevent him from obtaining or maintaining employment.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by occupational and social impairment due to mild symptoms prior to March 21, 2007, and by moderate symptoms as of March 21, 2007. The criteria for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent from February 15, 2005 to March 20, 2007, and in excess of 70 percent as of March 21, 2007 have not been met.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and a back disability. The Veteran was exposed to combat-related stressors during his deployment in Saudi Arabia. His claims are granted as new and material evidence has been submitted. A 100% evaluation is assigned for CFS.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a low back disorder due to conflicting medical evidence. The case is being returned to the RO/AMC for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has granted a 100 percent initial rating for PTSD effective August 7, 2001, based on the Veteran's total occupational and social impairment due to PTSD symptoms.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are not of such nature and severity as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and ensuring all identified private providers have provided authorization for release of medical information.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not more closely approximate the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination to assess his employability and impact of all disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD. The claim of a higher rating for right index finger disability is denied as the symptoms do not warrant a rating greater than 20 percent.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of PTSD was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.