Sinusitis decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service connection claim for plantar fasciitis is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of plantar fasciitis related to his military service, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for hypertension (HTN) and cardiovascular disease, to include HTN. The claims of service connection for musculoskeletal disorder, plantar fasciitis, deviated nasal septum, and compensable rating for sinusitis are dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from working in substantially gainful employment as of March 28, 2012. The Board granted TDIU effective March 28, 2012.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and right maxillary sinusitis due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip disability and sinusitis, to include nasal polyps. The effective date of service connection is not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for chronic sinusitis have been denied as the evidence does not show that his condition has warranted a rating in excess of 30 percent from September 1, 2015 to March 31, 2018 or in excess of 10 percent since April 1, 2018.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance or permanently confined to his immediate premises, thus denying the claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or an account of being housebound.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was initially rated at 0 percent and has not been found to warrant a higher rating.,For sinusitis, the Veteran is currently assigned a 50 percent rating from June 15, 2019. The maximum schedular rating for sinusitis under Code 6513 has already been reached.,The case of entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions, as no VA examiner has provided an opinion on their nature and etiology.

The Board has remanded the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for dermatitis, to reopen service connection for sinusitis and PTSD (including as due to MST), due to new evidence received after the May 2019 statement of the case.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and diabetes mellitus type II, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for sinusitis is granted. The petition to reopen the claim is granted to that extent only.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for chronic sinusitis as secondary to traumatic brain injury before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for Meniere’s disease, sinusitis, right knee disability, and right hearing loss due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The other issues remain denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to her service-connected disabilities, finding that she is not so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and assistance from another person.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability evaluation for his service-connected chronic sinusitis is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and an updated VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as his disabilities are not severe enough to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to October 27, 2019 as his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicides, as well as his TDIU claim. The issues include sinusitis, rhinitis, tremors of the upper extremities and head, cervical spine condition, lumbar spine DDD, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, GERD, and TDIU.

The claims for service connection for sinusitis and right ear hearing loss have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. However, further examination is needed as the provided medical records are inadequate.