PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder is service-connected due to sexual assaults he experienced in service, and his account of these events is credible.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected PTSD is denied as there is no evidence showing he was unable to work solely due to his PTSD prior to March 1, 2004.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his current level of disability. The Veteran does not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is productive of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks. The disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it does not result in flattened affect, difficulty with complex commands or impaired judgment.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be incurred in active service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, PTSD, residuals of radiation exposure, sinus condition, respiratory condition, and diverticulosis. The Veteran's assertions regarding continuity of symptomatology were not supported by the evidence.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of left ear infections, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression) have been reopened. However, the new evidence does not provide a valid diagnosis related to confirmed in-service stressors or establish a medical relationship with his pre-existing conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% and granted, while his back disability remains ungranted due to lack of service connection.

The case is being remanded due to the need to verify a claimed stressor and determine if the Veteran suffers from PTSD related to this incident.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 12, 2004, for service-connected PTSD was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not timely perfect his appeal and that VA had not waived the statutory time period for filing a Substantive Appeal.

The Board found no current diagnosis of PTSD and the Veteran's lay statements were not sufficient to establish a stressor. The preponderance of evidence is against service connection for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his service in Vietnam and finds that he meets the criteria for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression. The evidence now shows that his current depression is related to his service-connected pes planus and cyst of the flexor tendon, right great toe with excision of plantar fibromatosis.

The Board has found that the Veteran currently suffers from PTSD, which is a result of his active duty service in Vietnam. Therefore, the claim for service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and therefore service connection for this condition cannot be established. The claim for residuals of a back injury is also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to report for a scheduled hearing and to clarify his representation status. The issue of service connection for PTSD and depressive disorder remains pending.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran has PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder related to his military service, and to obtain relevant VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds sufficient evidence to support the Veteran's contention that he experienced ringing in his ears during service and has had ongoing issues with tinnitus since then.

The Board found that the Veteran did not engage in combat during service and credible evidence of his claimed stressors was lacking. As a result, the claim for PTSD was denied.