PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to insufficient information regarding her claimed stressors in service. The case is now pending further development and examination.

Effective September 18, 1989, the veteran received service connection for a post-operative scar, residuals of lumbar spine fusion and a 40 percent rating.,The veteran's right lumbosacral radiculopathy was rated at 10 percent effective September 23, 2002.,PTSD was granted with a 100 percent rating effective June 1, 1997.,Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss claim was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date of July 21, 1998 for the grant of nonservice-connected pension benefits due to a final and binding determination in December 1998. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, postoperative status, and denied service connection for PTSD. The veteran's low back disability is found to be related to in-service parachute jumps, while his PTSD claim was not supported by credible evidence of an in-service stressor.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder or back disability. The evidence does not support a finding of such conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a head injury, PTSD, skin condition (stasis dermatitis), and bilateral cataracts. The reasons were that there was no verified in-service stressor for PTSD, no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents or ionizing radiation, and no diagnosed conditions related to these exposures.

The veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral wrist disability, PTSD, and an increased rating for impetigo of the face with pseudosycosis barbae were dismissed as no substantive appeal was filed within the required time frame.

The Board found that the veteran does not meet the DSM IV criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and denied his claim for service connection. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted sufficient to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a nervous condition is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and hepatitis C, but granted service connection for diabetes mellitus with a 20 percent disability rating effective May 8, 2002.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent disability rating, effective from the date of his claim to reopen in October 1990.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the symptoms presented.

The Board found that the veteran's reported stressors did not occur during his service and could not be confirmed by evidence. As a result, the claim for PTSD was denied.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain relevant medical records and a new VA psychiatric examination in order to determine the nature and etiology of any current psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD will be readjudicated after all development is completed.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a diagnosed psychiatric disability, gastroesophageal disease, respiratory condition (COPD), or right shoulder disability related to service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The veteran's initial rating for PTSD is granted at 50 percent, effective January 23, 2003. The claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD remains unresolved.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than May 21, 2004 for a 100 percent evaluation for PTSD and for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or upon housebound status. The RO increased the disability rating to 100 percent effective from May 21, 2004.

The VA has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned an initial 50 percent rating, effective May 3, 2005. The veteran's symptoms include suicidal ideation, panic attacks, impaired judgment, and difficulty in establishing relationships.

The veteran's widow is granted a compensable disability evaluation of 50% for PTSD, effective from September 23, 1998.,The appellant's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for the cause of her husband's death was denied.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD.