Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom decisions — 2015

The Board has granted service connection for joint pain of the hands, elbows, shoulders, knees and hips as due to an undiagnosed illness incurred during active duty in the Southwest Asia Theater of operations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed memory loss disability, and a formal neuropsychological assessment is needed.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities have been denied multiple times, and new and material evidence has not been submitted in all cases. The Board finds that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his current disabilities.,The Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities have been denied multiple times, and new and material evidence has not been submitted in all cases. The Board finds that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his current disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral shoulder disability, low back disability, sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, eye disability (undiagnosed illness), sleep apnea (undiagnosed illness), chronic fatigue syndrome (undiagnosed illness), and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeal was also denied regarding the reopening of a claim for service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of current disability meeting VA standards.,Service connection granted for left ear hearing loss, with the condition etiologically related to an injury in service.,Service connection not established for a low back condition due to lack of chronic disability manifestation or evidence linking it to service.,Muscle contractions in the right hand were not shown to be related to service or service-connected conditions.,Muscle contractions in the left hand were also not shown to be related to service or service-connected conditions.,Service connection for an undiagnosed illness (including gastrointestinal disorder, bronchitis, and fatigue) was denied as there is no evidence of a qualifying chronic disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and to consider new evidence, including private and VA treatment records, lay statements, and social security records. The Veteran was also requested to provide a hearing request.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and conducting examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a link between his current symptoms and any in-service stressor.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral wrist disability and respiratory disorder are denied as there is no current diagnosis of a bilateral wrist condition, and the respiratory symptoms are not due to an undiagnosed illness or exposure in service. The low back disorder claim is also denied as it is less likely related to service.

The Board found that new and material evidence was presented to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a GI disability, but denied this de novo claim.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is not granted as there is no competent medical opinion linking the Veteran's current symptoms to his service.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service connection claims for various conditions, including PTSD, chronic fatigue syndrome, and undiagnosed illnesses. The case is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding no competent and credible evidence to support them. The Veteran's mood disorder was granted service connection but with a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a sleep disorder, and a skin rash of the face were denied. The claim for fatigue was not reopened as new and material evidence had not been received. Increased ratings for PTSD and degenerative changes of the lumbar spine were also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for CMI was denied at the time of his death, and thus is not granted.,New evidence has been submitted to reopen the low back disability claim. Given this new evidence, the Board finds that there is sufficient information to grant service connection for a chronic low back disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and occupational experience from September 22, 2011.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including a resulting sleep disorder, was not incurred or aggravated by service.,The Veteran's claimed undiagnosed illness (Gulf War Syndrome) manifested by muscle pain, joint pain, fatigue, and a sleep disturbance were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations and translation of German documents. The issues are whether his bilateral knee disability, right shoulder disability, and undiagnosed illness manifested by chronic fatigue are related to his service.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for a VA examination. The issues include service connection for a nervous condition, memory loss, and an eye condition.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for fatigue and granted service connection for schizophrenia, but denied all other issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a TDIU were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings or TDIU based on his service-connected conditions.