PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The VA denied the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for PTSD, stating that new and material evidence was not received.

The Board found that the Veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and his claims for PTSD were denied as there was no credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD. The Veteran's service records do not reflect any specialized training or duty assignment as a Navy diver, which is required to establish service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the veteran's PTSD is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, arthritis of the knees, ankles, elbows, and hands, and bilateral hearing loss were all denied. The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to establish service connection for PTSD due to lack of corroborated stressor events. For arthritis, no current diagnosis was provided in the record. For hearing loss, a compensable rating could not be assigned as the Veteran's hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for an exceptional pattern.

The Board is remanding the case to the RO for further development due to unavailability of records from the U.S. Department of State and National Archives and Records Administration.

The Veteran's appeal for higher disability ratings for PTSD prior to January 27, 2005 and from January 27, 2005 was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and attempting to corroborate the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors. The appeal is now pending again with the RO/AMC.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for osteoporosis of the left knee, PTSD, or epidermophytosis. For the low back disability, the rating was within the applicable range. The right arm burns and mandibular condyle fracture had no compensable ratings as they were asymptomatic.

The case is being remanded for further development, including scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations to assess his PTSD and employment suitability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and hypertension, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the PTSD claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and hepatitis C are being remanded due to the need for further evidentiary proceedings, including verification of stressors and a VA examination.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50% initial evaluation.

The Veteran's PTSD results in significant symptoms including insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks, and avoidance. The VA examiner determined the Veteran meets the criteria for a 50% disability rating.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that his reported military sexual trauma is consistent with the occurrence of an actual military sexual assault.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by occupational and social impairment due to mild symptoms such as depressed mood, chronic sleep impairment, and mild memory loss. The Board finds that a rating of 30 percent for PTSD is most appropriate.

The Veteran's PTSD was not shown to meet the criteria for a higher disability rating, as his symptoms did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 50 percent.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD prior to November 2007 was granted, and the case is remanded for further action regarding a compensable rating for right varicocele. The effective date remains pending as it relates to the grant of service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating higher than 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder was denied. The Board found that the symptoms associated with the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder did not more nearly approximate or equate to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.

The Board has ordered additional development to verify the Veteran's reported combat stressors and to determine if any current psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, residuals of a stroke, and hypertension. The evidence does not support a diagnosis of PTSD, and there is no competent medical evidence of any pertinent 'disability' for these conditions.