Multiple sclerosis decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that the veteran's multiple sclerosis is causally related to his active service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that there is no new and material evidence to reopen the veteran's claims of service connection for multiple sclerosis and residuals of a head injury.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for multiple sclerosis, residuals of right knee injury, bronchitis (claimed as a residual of tobacco use), postoperative bilateral inguinal hernias, and lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes.

The Board finds that the veteran's Multiple Sclerosis was manifested to a compensable degree within seven years after his separation from military service, thus triggering the presumptive service connection for such under VA regulations.

The veteran seeks an earlier effective date for service connection of multiple sclerosis with loss of use of both feet. The Board finds no legal basis to award such a date as the claim was not received within one year of his separation from service.

The Board denied service connection for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) as the evidence did not show it was incurred in or aggravated by service, and no presumption of service connection due to herbicide exposure could be applied.

The Board has jurisdiction to review the claims of entitlement to service connection for multiple sclerosis and hepatitis C. The veteran's appeal on these issues is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for prostatitis and multiple sclerosis, but denied increased ratings for the eye and extremity conditions. The veteran's total disability rating based on individual unemployability is also denied.

The veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and the Board is remanding for further development of medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for Multiple Sclerosis from February 6, 1998 and effective from that date. The veteran's claim was reopened based on new evidence submitted in December 1997.

The Board has granted increased evaluations for the veteran's right eye iritis and bilateral eye iritis as a manifestation of multiple sclerosis, both rated at 30 percent. The decision is based on direct service connection.

The veteran's claims of service connection for multiple sclerosis, rectal incontinence, and headaches were denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board found no evidence of service connection for multiple sclerosis or hepatitis C with cirrhosis, and denied both claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for multiple sclerosis and an increased rating for internal derangement of the right knee. The decision found no more than slight impairment in the right knee, without instability or additional limitation due to pain, weakness, incoordination, or fatigability.

The veteran died in 1998 of Multiple Sclerosis. His claim for service connection was pending at the time of his death, but no benefits were awarded within one year of his death due to a voided rating decision. The appellant's application for accrued benefits was received over one year after her husband's death and is therefore denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to asthma and multiple sclerosis, including seeking higher initial evaluations. The effective date for service connection is not specified.

The Board has determined that the veteran's Multiple Sclerosis was not incurred or aggravated during service and cannot be presumed to have been incurred due to a disease onset within one year of separation from active duty. The evidence does not show any symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis in service or within seven years thereafter.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to assess the veteran's multiple sclerosis and its impact on her employment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's Multiple Sclerosis is likely to have manifested before April 1986, within the seven-year presumptive period for service-connected conditions. Therefore, the claim of service connection for Multiple Sclerosis is granted.

The Board found that the appellant does not have multiple sclerosis that is a result of disease or injury incurred in or aggravated during active duty for training (ACDUTRA).