PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD based on new evidence showing a diagnosis of PTSD related to combat exposure. The veteran's claims are granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a schedular disability rating of 100 percent, which is the maximum available under VA regulations.

The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and his claimed stressors could not be verified. Therefore, service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no evidence of a verified in-service stressor.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, finding no evidence to support these claims. The claim for reopening a bilateral knee disability was also denied as new and material evidence had not been received.

The Board has granted an increased disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD effective January 23, 2001.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO in Montgomery, Alabama.

The veteran's PTSD was rated at 50% prior to April 6, 2004 and increased to 70% from that date. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted (increased rating) while others remained unchanged.

The veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity from December 7, 2000 to December 26, 2004.,Since December 27, 2004, the veteran's PTSD has caused total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has determined that an effective date of November 27, 1990 for the award of service connection and a 100 percent evaluation for PTSD is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD because there was no credible supporting evidence of the claimed stressors and the veteran did not engage in combat.

The veteran's PTSD is service-connected as it was incurred during his military service in Vietnam.

The VA determined that the veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD and thus cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran does not have PTSD linked by competent medical opinion to any incident of active military service and thus denied the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, which is one of the bases for establishing entitlement to DIC. Therefore, the DIC claim must be considered on the basis of a service-connected cause of death.

The Board has decided that the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD should be remanded to allow for further development, including a psychiatric examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is related to his combat service in Vietnam and grants service connection for PTSD.

The veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a seizure disorder (claimed as head injury) due to lack of evidence of current disability. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder and/or depression, remains pending.

The veteran's PTSD is manifested by poor sleep, recurrent nightmares, intrusive thoughts, low energy, marked irritability, emotional numbing, social withdrawal, hypervigilance, suicidal ideation and homicidal ideation, anhedonia, and GAF scores of as low as 35. The criteria for the initial assignment of a 100 percent disability evaluation for PTSD have been met.

The VA denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for the veteran's PTSD from March 6, 1990, to August 1, 1994, as his condition did not meet the criteria for such an increase.