PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD was initially granted and assigned a 30 percent rating effective from November 5, 2007. The current appeal is about whether an increased rating beyond the initial 30 percent should be granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board found that the evidence does not relate an acquired psychiatric disability, other than PTSD, to the Veteran's time in service and denied his claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that there is no clear and unmistakable evidence to rebut the presumption of soundness at entry into service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that PTSD was incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's diagnosed PTSD is not related to a verified in-service stressor and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent from January 11, 2007. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of moderate impairment due to symptoms such as intrusive thoughts and occasional thoughts of suicide.

The Veteran's PTSD and Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety and Depression are due to his service, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development including a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic respiratory disorder or PTSD related to service and denied both claims.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of August 6, 2003, for the award of service connection for PTSD and depressive disorder. He is also granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is service-connected for PTSD and duodenal ulcer disease, with a combined rating of 70% before November 17, 2006. His PTSD was rated as 50% disabling prior to this date and as 100% thereafter. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence shows that he is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as it is at least as likely as not related to his military service, specifically the exposure to enemy fire and witnessing of a soldier committing suicide in Vietnam.

The Veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent disability rating.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's in-service experiences during his active duty service on an aircraft carrier in Vietnam are sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board found no evidence of prostate cancer and denied service connection for it. The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50% but the claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's hearing loss and back disability were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found no evidence of aggravation during service, and the earliest post-service evidence of hearing loss was over 40 years after discharge.

The Veteran's right buttock scar, which measures 2 square centimeters and is occasionally painful with no adherence to underlying tissue or ulceration, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 10 percent under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claims of service connection for allergic rhinitis, left calcaneal spurs, and an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD are not supported by the evidence. The competent medical evidence does not show a link between these conditions and active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including scoliosis, a low back disability, bilateral foot and leg disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, migraines, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The decision found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining recent VA treatment records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to assess the current severity of his PTSD.