PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The veteran's private medical expenses incurred from September 21, 2003, through September 26, 2003, are eligible for reimbursement as the services were rendered in a medical emergency and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The veteran's PTSD is manifested by severe occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas such as work, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The Board finds that the criteria for a 70 percent rating are met.

The veteran's PTSD was initially rated at 30 percent prior to May 9, 2002 and increased to 50 percent effective from May 9, 2002.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed in-service stressor was not related to combat and there was no credible supporting evidence for the occurrence of the event. Therefore, service connection for PTSD could not be established.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, PTSD, and seizure disorder are denied as there is no competent medical evidence to support these claims.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for PTSD, a right knee disorder, and a tooth disorder. The veteran's current diagnoses are noted but do not establish a link between his military service and these conditions.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as he did not meet the criteria for a valid diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression due to incomplete development of evidence, including obtaining an OSI report related to in-service personal assault. The VA will conduct further examination and obtain medical opinions regarding the relationship between the veteran's current psychiatric conditions and her service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing VA outpatient treatment records and a need to obtain an opinion from a VA psychologist regarding whether the veteran has PTSD due to his military service.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to the need for further development and examination, including a VA psychiatric examination. The issues of service connection for tinnitus, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, an eye disorder, and a back disorder are being addressed.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 30 percent rating effective January 29, 2003. The veteran's claim was initially denied in April 1992 but reopened on January 29, 2003.

The Board found that the veteran's reported in-service stressor, a sexual assault, has not been verified and therefore denied her claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examination and consideration of his Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits records.

The Board found that the veteran's PTSD, right knee disability, tremors, and COPD were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The claims for PTSD and tremors were denied due to lack of verified stressors, while the claim for COPD was denied as it did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection under the Persian Gulf War presumption.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD based on confirmed in-service stressors and denied his claim for service connection for PTSD.

The Board found that the evidence submitted since the RO's January 1994 denial, which consists of multiple unrelated medical claims and VA records making no mention of PTSD, is not new and material. Therefore, the current claim for PTSD for purposes of accrued benefits was not reopened.

The VA determined that the veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection for PTSD as there was no verified stressor from service and he did not engage in combat.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is service-connected due to combat exposure, and there is sufficient evidence linking his current symptoms of PTSD to events in service. The claim for diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no current diagnosis or evidence supporting a current disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the veteran's current psychiatric disorder is related to service or any verified stressors. The claim will be re-adjudicated based on the results of this examination.