PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, including dysthymic disorder and PTSD, is causally related to service. The Board has granted the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence had been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD. The case is now remanded for additional development, including a request to the appropriate service department for information regarding alleged stressors and a request for relevant clinical documentation from Dr. D.

The Veteran's hypertension, heart disorder, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have been addressed. The claims for service connection are granted with the appropriate ratings.

The Board determined that the Veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by active military duty and denied his claim for service connection. The issue of an increased disability evaluation for diabetes mellitus is also addressed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his hearing loss and PTSD. The claims will be readjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is manifested by symptoms of consistent sleeping problems, hypervigilant behavior, bouts of depression, nightmares, avoidance of social contact and isolative behavior, aural hallucinations and assaultive behavior without suicidal or homicidal ideation. The Veteran's claim for entitlement to a 100 percent disability rating for service-connected PTSD from the original date of his claim, November 16, 2004, is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all found to be service-connected due to the in-service noise exposure. The Veteran has no other conditions or issues related to service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD does not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by total occupational and social impairment since September 21, 2006. The Board has determined that the criteria for a 100 percent disability rating under Diagnostic Code 9411 have been met.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation, as it did not demonstrate flattened affect or disturbances of motivation and mood. The Veteran's symptoms were considered to be within the scope of the current 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred on September 21, 2006 were denied as the treatment was not for an emergent condition and a VA facility was feasibly available.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA psychiatric examination to assess the severity of the appellant's service-connected PTSD and any other psychiatric disorders. The claim will be readjudicated after all necessary actions are taken.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, right hip disorder, and PTSD. The denial was based on a lack of evidence establishing a nexus between these conditions and service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disability to include PTSD, anxiety and depression.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to a lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed in-service stressors, and thus, his diagnosis of PTSD could not be verified.

The Veteran does not have a psychiatric disability, to include PTSD and depression, which had onset during service or is etiologically related to his service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability has been denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder was denied by the Board. The case is being remanded to obtain updated medical records and schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder is related to his period of active military service and the Board finds that he meets the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, lumbar spine disability, and cervical spine disability due to lack of credible evidence supporting the occurrence of the claimed stressors. The Board also found no current diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with DSM-IV criteria and concluded that there was insufficient evidence to establish a causal link between any diagnosed conditions and service.