PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Board of Veterans' Appeals found that the veteran's PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, as there were no confirmed stressors and the evidence did not show PTSD to have been caused or made worse by active military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to the poor quality of one cassette tape recording her testimony.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and found that new evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD related to in-service stressors. The veteran is now entitled to service connection for PTSD.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD due to new and material evidence, but the issue remains pending as it is being referred back to the RO for further development.

The Board found that the veteran does not currently have diabetes mellitus and denied service connection for this condition. The claim for an initial rating greater than 30 percent for PTSD was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information regarding in-service stressors and potential combat involvement. The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD will be reconsidered with additional development.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining records from military facilities and verifying stressor events.

The veteran's claim for higher ratings for PTSD and tinnitus was denied. The RO assigned a maximum schedular evaluation of 70 percent for PTSD, which is the highest available rating under the applicable diagnostic code. For tinnitus, the RO found that the veteran already received the maximum schedular evaluation (10 percent) and thus could not grant a higher rating based on the regular schedular standards.

The veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating and a higher rating for his service-connected right knee disability, as well as the reopening of his PTSD and back disability claims, were denied. The claim for service connection for a neck disability was not addressed in this decision.

The veteran's claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence regarding his claimed stressors. The temporary total rating for PTSD hospitalization and inpatient treatment from April 23, 2001 to May 23, 2001 remains under review.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The Board finds that the veteran engaged in combat with the enemy and his lay testimony regarding the stressors he experienced during his service in Saudi Arabia is accepted as conclusive evidence of their occurrence.

The Board has granted an effective date of December 20, 2001 for the assignment of a 70 percent schedular rating for PTSD.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the veteran's PTSD, finding that it meets the criteria for this level of impairment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a back injury and PTSD, finding that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the claim for residuals of a back injury.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially and materially to his death. The appellant contends that her husband died as a result of his service-connected PTSD, which caused or worsened conditions leading to his death.

The veteran's PTSD evaluation remains at 30 percent, but the RO has ordered a remand for further development including obtaining treatment records and scheduling an examination to assess current symptomatology.

The Board has granted a 70 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected PTSD, finding that his symptoms meet the criteria for such an evaluation.

The Board found that the evidence submitted since the October 1997 rating decision is not new and material, and thus denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, may not be presumed to have been so incurred, and is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. The claim for an increased evaluation for PTSD remains pending.

The Board finds that the veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is reasonably attributable to his service. The evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD and credible supporting evidence indicates it occurred during service.