Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2024

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for her service-connected rheumatoid arthritis. The Board has remanded the case to address a claim of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the January 2013 rating decision, as well as the main issue of entitlement to an earlier effective date.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of a complete medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis, specifically whether it is related to service, including the loss of blood sustained during a stabbing in service.

The Veteran's daughter, J. J. E., is not considered permanently incapable of self-support prior to turning 18 years old due to her rheumatoid arthritis.

The Veteran's claims for leukocytosis, right foot plantar fasciitis, and a right ankle disability are denied. The Veteran's seronegative rheumatoid arthritis, left and right wrist rheumatoid arthritis with osteopenia, left and right knee strain with rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia are granted as related to in-service bacterial food poisoning. Service connection for hair loss is also granted secondary to service-connected rheumatoid arthritis.

The Board has granted service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, finding that it is at least as likely as not the result of an in-service disease or injury.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of posttraumatic stress disorder, persistent depressive disorder, traumatic brain injury, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraine headaches were granted effective July 30, 2015. The claim for service connection of bronchitis was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. Claims for cervical strain and rheumatoid arthritis are remanded due to duty to assist errors.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting VA opinions and a need for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's radiculopathy involves the femoral nerve, as well as its current severity.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for an allowance for an automobile or other conveyance, and adaptive equipment, or adaptive equipment only due to lack of anatomical loss of hands or feet.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for buttocks pain, rectal dysfunction, rheumatoid arthritis, non-union left elbow chip fracture with resolution of elbow effusion and osteoarthritis associated with history of lumbosacral strain with disk herniation at L4-5 and L5-S1 and DDD, and left shoulder strain have all been denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip numbness, left hip numbness, a disability of the right foot toes, a disability of the left foot toes, a sleep disorder to include sleep apnea, hypertension, SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance, and an effective date prior to August 20, 2002 have been remanded.

The Veteran's son A. was recognized as a helpless child for VA purposes, and the effective date of February 5, 2013, is granted for additional dependency benefits based on this recognition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability due to incomplete medical records and inadequate nexus opinions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain updated treatment records, verify the exact dates of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA served by the Veteran in the United States Army, Army Reserve, and Maryland Army National Guard, and seek medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's foot disabilities.

The claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during active duty in Okinawa, Japan.,The claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis is remanded as there was a pre-decisional error regarding the duty to assist and the need for further medical opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for a lung disability on a facts-found basis, but the issues of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis remain remanded due to outstanding National Guard treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for neurobehavioral effects and pancolitis due to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune are denied as there is no current disability. The claim for rheumatoid arthritis is remanded as the Veteran has not been provided a VA examination addressing his service connection.,Service connection cannot be granted for neurobehavioral effects or pancolitis, but the Veteran's claim for rheumatoid arthritis remains pending and requires further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and a medical opinion regarding service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is granted as service-connected, with the condition likely related to in-service exposure to burn pits. The other issues are remanded.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of rheumatoid arthritis of the left shoulder, right shoulder, left hip, and left knee due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a heart condition and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding that his current heart conditions were related to his active-duty service or any other service-connected disability.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 40 percent effective August 17, 2018. Service connection for hypertension, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, right foot disability, left foot disability, and right shoulder disability are denied. TDIU is granted effective July 30, 2018.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance from December 26, 2001. The decision finds that his service-connected disabilities rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance since December 26, 2001.