Multiple sclerosis decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for Multiple Sclerosis, Right Knee Strain, Mild Facet Arthrosis of the Lumbar Spine, and Optic Neuritis. The rating assigned is 80 percent for each condition.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings are being remanded due to the complexity of the procedural history.,Service connection has been granted for multiple conditions including MS, bladder dysfunction, right upper and lower extremity weakness, visual scotoma, and erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's multiple sclerosis is found to have its initial onset during his active duty service and the Board grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to extend his delimiting date for Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits, finding that he did not file a timely request within one year of when he was able to attend school again.

The Board has granted service connection for multiple sclerosis and its related secondary conditions, including neurogenic bladder, numbness in the upper and lower extremities, GAD, cervical myelopathy/IVDS, muscle pain and spasticity, vertigo, and fecal incontinence.,Service connection was also granted for rectal cancer pursuant to the PACT Act.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeals regarding various rating reductions and severances, restoring his eligibility for SMC, automobile and adaptive equipment, specially adapted housing, and DEA benefits. The issues on appeal were related to improper decisions made in previous rating decisions due to fraud.

The Veteran's sleep apnea due to multiple sclerosis is rated at 50 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating as it does not meet the criteria for a 100 percent rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, as there is insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's Multiple Sclerosis began during service or within seven years of separation. The AOJ obtained an October 2020 VA medical opinion that did not provide adequate rationale for its conclusion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depression and anxiety associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), bladder complications associated with MS, left upper extremity neuropathy associated with MS, right upper extremity neuropathy associated with MS, right lower extremity neuropathy associated with MS, and left lower extremity neuropathy associated with MS, result in the need for regular aid and attendance of another person.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded her from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for multiple sclerosis as she failed to report for a necessary VA examination.

The Veteran's service connection claim for Multiple Sclerosis is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his disability developed during service or within the presumptive period.,The Veteran's increased rating claims for Degenerative Changes at L4-5 and L5-S1 (back disability), Right Lower Extremity Sciatic Nerve Radiculopathy, and Left Lower Extremity Sciatic Nerve Radiculopathy are remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the impact of flare-ups on his functional ability.,The Veteran's service connection claim for Bladder Disability is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if it is proximately due to or the result of his service connected back disability, and whether it was aggravated by his service-connected back disability. ,The Veteran's service connection claim for Bowel Disability is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if it is proximately due to or the result of his service connected back disability, and whether it was aggravated by his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to January 6, 2014, for the grant of service connection for multiple sclerosis with right eye optic atrophy is denied. The earliest document in the claims file that may be accepted as a claim for service connection was received by VA on January 6, 2014.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's multiple sclerosis is at least as likely as not related to service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of her claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for clarification regarding whether his left knee symptoms are attributable to his service-connected condition or a non-service connected condition (multiple sclerosis). Additional VA treatment records and an addendum medical opinion are needed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, chronic pain syndrome, multiple sclerosis, bilateral hearing loss, and a psychiatric disorder have all been denied.,There is no evidence of any in-service injury or illness that could be linked to the current conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's pulmonary fibrosis and multiple sclerosis, finding that both conditions are related to his active-duty exposure to harmful chemicals, specifically trichloroethylene (TCE).

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to readjudicate his claim for service connection of Multiple Sclerosis, finding new and relevant evidence that supports a continuity of symptoms since service. The claim is now granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of a VA examination and because the Veteran participated in a toxic exposure risk activity during service, which requires an examination and medical nexus opinion under the PACT Act.