Rheumatoid arthritis Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to missing service treatment records and incomplete National Guard service information.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,An effective date prior to June 6, 2016 for service connection of degenerative disc disease lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome and right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.,Entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy is remanded.,Service connection for a cardiac disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, and rheumatoid arthritis is remanded.,,,

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a back disability, but denied all other claims.,PTSD was previously denied and is not being reconsidered.

The Board has granted service connection for insomnia, but denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and epilepsy. The Veteran's insomnia is found to be caused by his service-connected back disability. His rheumatoid arthritis and epilepsy are not related to his military service or any other condition.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development and consideration, including service connection claims for sinusitis, rheumatoid arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, low back disability, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and an increased rating for a low back disability.

The Board has denied service connection for blurred vision and rheumatoid arthritis/degenerative bone disease, but has remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis.

The Veteran's osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis of the feet, hands, wrists, ankles, shoulders, and hips are found to be causally or etiologically due to service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for multiple joint arthritis has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further examination and rating considerations.

The appeals of several conditions were dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the physical loss or permanent loss of use of one or both hands or feet, and therefore he does not qualify for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or other conveyance.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine DDD and associated radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities did not render him unemployable prior to December 19, 2017. The combined rating was 50 percent from that date to December 18, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his lumbar spine scoliosis status post lower back surgery with intervertebral disc syndrome, radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities is being remanded due to incomplete development. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased evaluation issues.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disorder and denied his claims for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities. The Board found new and material evidence to reopen the claim, but did not find a causal relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran's gout of the left ankle and bilateral feet, as well as his radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, are being remanded for further evaluation due to recent worsening symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the hands, knees, hips, and back is being remanded due to an error in how his previous claims were handled.

The Veteran's depression is granted as secondary to her service-connected obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service-connected rheumatoid arthritis resulted in limited motion and extension of the right and left arms, as well as fingers. The VA denied compensable ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his claims of earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss, initial increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of delayed treatment for blood poisoning.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected low back and hand disorders, as well as the issue of whether a reduction in SMC was proper, are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.