PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2011

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and restoration of his left sciatica rating, finding that there was no credible evidence supporting the occurrence of in-service stressors or a link between current symptoms and military service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and determined that the Veteran's claim is based on new and material evidence. The decision also addressed a separate issue of compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a back disorder, but did not reach a conclusion regarding this issue.

The Veteran's motion alleging clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the Board's October 2008 decision that denied his claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD was dismissed without prejudice to refiling. The motion failed to meet the specific pleading requirements set forth in 38 C.F.R. § 20.1404(b).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is attributable to service and grants service connection for PTSD, initially claimed as OCD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD rated 70%, asthma rated 30%, and costochondritis and migraine headaches, each rated 0%) render him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board finds that the Veteran suffers from PTSD related to an in-service stressor and has credible supporting evidence of his claimed stressors. Therefore, service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD in a February 23, 1990 decision. The decision was based on the absence of a diagnosed PTSD condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability (claimed as PTSD) and diabetes mellitus were denied. The Veteran was also denied entitlement to increased ratings for his residuals of a dog bite injury to the right hand, with loss of motion and sensation in the right 5th finger, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and adjudication of his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability, including an extraschedular evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, with anxiety and memory loss. The Veteran's arthritis of the hands and feet are also found to be related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent from February 24, 2004 to December 31, 2006 and increased to 50 percent effective January 1, 2007.,From June 7, 2008, the Veteran's service-connected PTSD renders him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and employment history.

The Board found no current psychiatric disorder etiologically related to service, and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to locate a witness who could verify the Veteran's claimed stressor of sexual assault while serving aboard the U.S.S. Watts.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since January 1, 2000. The Board finds that the current rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD, finding that the first claim was filed after January 23, 2004.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his active service.

The Veteran's PTSD was manifested by moderate occupational and social impairment from September 3, 2001 through April 6, 2006. Since April 7, 2006, the disability has been characterized by significant occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's PTSD is not manifested by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking or mood. The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the right acromioclavicular joint does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation prior to June 21, 2010, nor does it meet the criteria for an increased rating effective June 21, 2010.

The Veteran's case was remanded for the AOJ to provide a missing rating decision and evidence related to his dysthymic disorder. The AMC provided a November 2009 rating decision increasing the disability rating to 70 percent, but this information is not included in the claims folder.

The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected PTSD, and the case has been remanded to obtain updated VA outpatient records and a new examination.