PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for PTSD and granted service connection, finding that the veteran was exposed to combat stressors during his service in Vietnam.

The veteran's PTSD is productive of symptoms such as nightmares, insomnia, flashbacks, social withdrawal, depression, and chronic autonomic hyperarousal. The Board has granted a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the claim of service connection for PTSD. However, it is not granted as there is no credible supporting evidence to corroborate the veteran's reported in-service stressors. Service connection is also denied for depression and/or bipolar disorder.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and a higher rating of 70 percent is granted from July 15, 2003, to the present.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected PTSD as of the last valid examination in November 1999 was manifested by occupational and social impairment, warranting a 50 percent rating. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to a lack of verified stressor event, and thus concluded that there was no evidence supporting the diagnosis of PTSD.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and PTSD has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat and thus could not establish service connection for PTSD based on a verified stressor. The claim was denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues of service connection for PTSD, kidney disorder, and TDIU are also being addressed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of the veteran's claimed stressors for PTSD. The RO must attempt to verify these stressors and schedule a VA PTSD examination if any are verified.

The appellant is seeking earlier effective dates for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance, and a higher rating for post-traumatic stress disorder. The Board finds that neither of these claims are warranted.,The veteran's claim for an increase in disability benefits due to post-traumatic stress disorder was denied in December 2001. The appellant is seeking retroactive benefits based on the date her husband filed his original claim, but this request cannot be granted as there is no evidence of increased disability within one year prior to the receipt of the current claim.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the Montgomery, Alabama, RO. The case will be returned to the Board after the scheduled hearing.

The veteran's PTSD and arthrosis of the left shoulder are rated at 30 percent each, effective from the date his claim was filed.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's death.

The Board found that the veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection of PTSD, as there is no verified stressor related to his military service and the VA examiner concluded he did not meet the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD.

The VA has determined that the veteran's PTSD does not warrant a rating in excess of 70 percent, indicating total occupational and social impairment.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his PTSD was denied, and the RO did not grant earlier effective dates for the total rating based on individual unemployability or the 70 percent rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a genitourinary disease, malaria, head injury, and PTSD due to insufficient evidence supporting these claims.

The veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling, with symptoms including irritability, nightmares, chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and difficulty establishing social relationships. The disability does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The veteran's claim for an increased initial evaluation for service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous psychiatric examination and VCAA compliance.