PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection and compensation for PTSD was remanded by the Board due to the need for additional development, including a retroactive medical opinion and determination of appropriate effective dates.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder is currently rated at 70 percent, effective from the initial grant of service connection. The appeal for a higher rating remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for PTSD and whether any diagnosed psychiatric disorder is related to service, including a verified in-service stressor or fear of hostile military activity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a psychiatric examination and review of all relevant records. The case will be readjudicated after the additional development.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD based on the Veteran's reported in-service assault, finding that his symptoms are causally related to these events. The other claims were not addressed due to lack of evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be incurred in service, with the stressors occurring during his Vietnam service and a military police incident outside of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Board granted service connection for PTSD based on new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of any non-PTSD psychiatric disability, including whether it is related to military service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD based on an in-service stressor and his acquired psychiatric disorders, including depressive disorder, are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with anxiety and lumbosacral spine disabilities leave him in need of assistance or result in his being housebound. The claim will be returned for further action.

The Board has remanded the case to attempt to verify in-service stressors claimed by the Veteran, specifically involving combat operations off the coast of Beirut, Lebanon and a collision with another vessel. The Veteran should be afforded a VA PTSD examination to determine if a diagnosis of PTSD is warranted and whether it was caused by verified in-service stressors.

The Veteran's appeal to the March 2006 rating decision denying service connection for PTSD and depression was not timely filed.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, which the Veteran contends were incurred during active service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted and rated at 70 percent since August 7, 2008. The other conditions (tinnitus, chloracne, intermittent claudication of the legs) have not been resolved in this decision.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, began during active service or is related to an incident of service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent, the highest possible rating.,Right ear hearing loss does not meet VA criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a low back disorder have been granted. The initial compensable evaluations for scars of the right hand and pseudofolliculitis barbae are also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed stressors are consistent with his service and may be accepted as sufficient evidence of their occurrence. The Veteran is ordered to undergo a VA psychiatric examination to determine if he meets the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, and whether there exists a nexus between the established stressors and his PTSD symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral ankle, hip, leg, hearing loss, lung disability (other than pulmonary tuberculosis), skin disability, psychiatric disability (PTSD), and erectile dysfunction. The evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms are mild, with no significant impairment in occupational or social functioning. The VA examiner found a GAF score of 65, indicating some mild symptoms and impairment.