Multiple sclerosis decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to December 30, 2010 is being remanded due to insufficient evidence meeting the schedular criteria. The Board will refer the case to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration under extra-schedular provisions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings were dismissed. Effective May 16, 2014, a rating of 20 percent was granted for the lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral lower extremity nerve disability, including peripheral neuropathy and multiple sclerosis (MS), finding no evidence of a nexus to active service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional addendum opinions to determine if there is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's MS, recurrent skin disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder are related to her active-duty service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected cervical strain is denied as the evidence does not show that the limitation of motion of the cervical spine is less than 30 degrees, which would warrant a 20% rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's Multiple Sclerosis is related to her service. The claim will be reviewed again with a new examination.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been dismissed.,Issues related to service connection, disability ratings, and effective dates are being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of multiple sclerosis, as it was not substantially complied with in previous decisions. An addendum VA medical opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran's symptoms within seven years of discharge and herbicide exposure are related to his condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for multiple sclerosis, memory loss as secondary to multiple sclerosis, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as anxiety and depression) as secondary to multiple sclerosis due to lack of direct service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for multiple sclerosis and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy on a presumptive basis due to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral ear disability as she withdrew her appeals prior to a decision being made. The claims of service connection for multiple sclerosis, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), left knee disability, and left shoulder disability are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's daughter, M.C., is a Camp Lejeune family member but does not have an illness for which payment or reimbursement is available based on this status. Her mother was pregnant with her from March 1953 to January 6, 1954 and had placenta dysfunction due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. However, the covered illnesses do not include MS and dementia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep disorder and multiple sclerosis due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on this finding.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VR&E records and copies of the VA examiner's qualifications. The issues on appeal are service connection for Multiple Sclerosis and TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for voiding dysfunction due to urethral stricture and chronic kidney disease. The case is remanded for further analysis on the issues of service connection for bladder cancer (secondary to service-connected urethral stricture) and multiple sclerosis.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for multiple sclerosis, which was secondary to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and a need for additional examination.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for multiple sclerosis. The Veteran does not have a current disability of right or left ear hearing loss, as defined by VA regulatory criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. For multiple sclerosis, a VA examination is needed to determine if the condition began during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for multiple sclerosis was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, her claim remains denied as there is no credible evidence linking her current condition to active duty service.