Sinusitis decisions — 2010

The Court has affirmed the Board's February 2006 decision with respect to some service connection claims and remanded others. The motion for CUE is dismissed as moot due to the Court's decisions.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for sinusitis due to his failure to provide necessary releases for VA to secure pertinent evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a need for additional development and examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of sinusitis and there is no evidence linking his claimed condition to service, including as due to an undiagnosed illness. The Board therefore denies the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's varicose veins were granted service connection. The initial disability evaluations for PTSD and sinusitis remain at 50% and 30%, respectively, with no change in rating.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant is denied as he does not meet the criteria due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a chronic sinus disorder, which he contends was incurred during his military service. The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current sinus condition.

The Board has granted service connection for right eye glaucoma and sinusitis and residuals of nasal surgery, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not aggravated by the service-connected left eye glaucoma.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining employment information from his last full-time employer and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected sinusitis and its impact on his ability to work.

The Board granted service connection for residuals of a nasal fracture with chronic rhinosinusitis and assigned a 10 percent disability rating, effective May 21, 2004. The Veteran's condition was found to be analogous to sinusitis under Diagnostic Code 6510.

The Veteran's claims for increased initial evaluations for his right and left knee disabilities have been granted. The right knee disability is rated at 20 percent, while the left knee disability remains at 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection have been denied. The right upper arm burn scars, neuropathic pain, chronic reflux laryngitis, and allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis are currently evaluated at the lowest possible ratings.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen claims for low back disability, residuals of head injury (other than headaches), right leg disability, sinusitis, diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy, cardiovascular disability, diabetic retinopathy, throat disability, and PTSD. The Veteran's claims are denied.

The Veteran's sinusitis is rated at a 10 percent disability rating since July 14, 2000. The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's service connection claim for sinusitis and rhinitis was denied as there is no current evidence of chronic sinusitis, but the Board granted service connection for chronic rhinitis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable, and a VA examination is needed to assess the impact of these conditions on his ability to work.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran was not granted an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his fractured bilateral mandibular condyle, and he did not establish service connection for sinusitis, shrapnel wounds to the left hand or right eye.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the issues of entitlement to service connection for chronic sinusitis, chronic upper respiratory infections, chronic bronchitis, headaches, chronic fatigue, a reduced sense of smell, and a reduced sense of taste.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating for his bilateral knee disability prior to August 10, 2007, or for either knee as of August 10, 2007.