Sinusitis decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right leg injuries resulting from a motorcycle accident in service have been reopened, but the evidence does not meet the criteria for service connection.,The Veteran's chronic rhinitis is rated at 10 percent due to greater than 50-percent obstruction of nasal passages on both sides.

The Board has denied service connection for a neck condition and remanded the issues of service connection for knee, gastritis, sinusitis, and pulmonary condition (to include asthma).

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for sinusitis from October 22, 2007, is denied as the condition does not meet the criteria for an increased rating under the applicable schedular criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for gastrointestinal disorders, including GERD and hiatal hernia. The decision on sinusitis remains denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, and migraine headaches has been partially granted. The Veteran is now receiving an initial 30 percent rating for migraine headaches.

The Veteran's VA disability benefits were reduced due to the recoupment of her separation pay. The appeal is denied as the law requires the recouping of separation pay from VA disability compensation.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding effective dates prior to March 9, 2011 for service connection of lichen simplex chronicus, chronic sinusitis and umbilical hernia. The Veteran's request for withdrawal was granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied in previous decisions. New evidence was submitted and found to be material, allowing the claim for a skin disability to be reopened. The back injury residuals claim is also reopened. Service connection for sinus disabilities (chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis) is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including sleep apnea, degenerative arthritis of the spine, anxiety and depression, arthritis of the knees, tinnitus, sinusitis with rhinitis, right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the femoral nerve, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis and gastrointestinal disability (including gastroenteritis). However, it has granted service connection for a migraine disability and an acquired psychiatric disability (including major depressive disorder).,Service connection is also being remanded for hypertension.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to a higher initial rating for chronic ethmoid sinusitis and entitlement to a TDIU due to the need for further development, including scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal of the claim for service connection for a heart murmur is dismissed as moot due to the grant in December 2013. The claims for increased disability evaluations for sinusitis, hemorrhoids, and tinea pedis are remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected. His lumbar spine and right knee conditions, as well as his sinusitis and irritable bowel syndrome are denied due to lack of in-service incurrence or relationship.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including osteoarthritis in multiple joints and other conditions.

The appeal to reopen a claim for service connection for a right knee disability is granted. The claim of entitlement to service connection for sinusitis is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal regarding the recoupment of separation pay for various disabilities, finding that VA was required to withhold this amount from his disability compensation benefits as per law.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of her sinusitis with sinus headaches. The issues of service connection for unspecified depressive disorder on a secondary basis and a rating in excess of 10 percent for sinusitis are also remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for initial compensable evaluations for right and left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as her appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability to include simple phobia (now consolidated under major depressive disorder with PTSD and insomnia), have been dismissed. The Veteran has also been granted a TDIU.

The Veteran's chronic maxillary sinusitis is rated at a 30 percent disability rating, effective from the date of his original claim in May 2017. The VA Board found that he experienced more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues, including service connection for various foot conditions and a request for an earlier effective date. The Board has not made a final determination on these claims.