PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and secondary service connection for bladder cancer and prostate cancer due to Agent Orange exposure have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a diagnosed condition during service or within one year post-service, and the Veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, and his initial rating for diabetes mellitus was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with DSM-IV criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for psychiatric disabilities other than PTSD, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, finding no competent evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities are not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The Veteran's current period of unemployment is due to his service-connected right 5th metacarpalphalangeal joint disability.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for higher initial evaluations for PTSD, finding that from January 20, 2005 through April 12, 2011, his service-connected PTSD was manifested by difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, sleep disturbance, depression, and occasional suicidal ideation. From April 13, 2011, the appellant's PTSD is manifested by anxiety, nightmares, panic attacks, hyperarousal symptoms, and irritability.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, multiple blunt force injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident, was not caused by any service-connected disability and denied both claims for service connection for the cause of death and DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's reported in-service stressors are related to a fear of hostile military activity and have been medically linked to his current diagnosis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is causally related to his active service, including exposure to traumatic events in Vietnam. The reasonable doubt rule has been applied in favor of the appellant.

The Veteran's lumbar spine injury and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) are not service-connected.,Service connection for hearing loss is not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, which reflects reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect, impaired judgment, and disturbances of motivation and mood. The diabetes mellitus has been rated at 40 percent since January 12, 2009.

The Board has granted an effective date of June 16, 2004 for the grant of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD and depression. The initial disability rating remains at 50 percent prior to February 26, 2005.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and TDIU have been denied. The Board finds that further development is required to evaluate the current severity of his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The Board lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim as the appellant has died.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The Board found that the criteria for an initial compensable rating for hypertension have not been met, and did not find any other issues warranting a higher or earlier effective date.

The Veteran's PTSD is productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in judgment, family relations, work and mood due to symptoms including anxiety, near continuous depression, sleep disturbance, nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance, withdrawal, isolation, loss of interest, lack of motivation, exaggerated startle response, persistent hypervigilence, suspiciousness, irritability, outbursts of anger, impaired impulse control, some unprovoked irritability with periods of violence, impaired attention, concentration and focus, abnormal abstract thinking, severe impaired short and long term memory, difficulty in understanding complex commands, and Global Assessment of Functioning scores ranging from 42 to 50 indicating severe symptoms. The Veteran is assigned a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, diagnosed as PTSD with MDD, panic attacks and agoraphobia, and OCD, has been found to result in total occupational and social impairment.

The Board found that there is no competent and credible evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's lactose intolerance and service, and denied his claim for service connection. The psychiatric disorder claim was remanded due to insufficient development.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's claimed stressor is supported by his own statements and verified by lay 'buddy statements'. The new regulation allows for a diagnosis of PTSD based on fear of hostile military or terrorist activity.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and PTSD, but the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is not considered to be directly related to his military service. The claim for PTSD was reopened based on new evidence provided by the Veteran.