Multiple sclerosis Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the claims for multiple sclerosis, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left foot pain due to a lack of SSA records. The Veteran's SSA records are requested as they may contain relevant information.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of March 5, 2014 for a 60 percent rating for multiple sclerosis with fecal incontinence and urinary incontinence was granted.,Both conditions were rated at 60 percent since March 5, 2014.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal of the entire appeal filed in September 2020.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's Multiple Sclerosis began during her active service. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and multiple sclerosis. The Veteran did not provide new and relevant evidence to reopen his claim of retinal dystrophy (bilateral macular degeneration).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to a pre-decisional error in failing to refer the case for extraschedular consideration. The evidence shows that his service-connected lumbar spine disability affects his ability to be employed.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions and a duty to assist error regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS).

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.