The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including a thoracolumbar spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, and TBI residuals have been granted.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner indicated that the Veteran had medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses manifested by joint pain, loss of the sense of smell, dysphagia, epigastric distress, and regurgitation, as well as a history of traumatic brain injury. These conditions were found to be related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness manifested by joint pain and involving joints other than the thoracolumbar spine, right shoulder, and cervical spine, Loss of the sense of smell, Dysphagia, epigastric distress, and regurgitation, Thoracolumbar spine disorder, Right shoulder disorder, Cervical spine disorder, Traumatic brain injury (TBI) residuals
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 24, 2017
- Citation
- 1734883
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1734883.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and psychiatric disorder due to incomplete information. The Veteran needs to provide his complete service personnel records, verify his alleged combat experience in Vietnam, and undergo VA examinations for both conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the initial ratings assigned for psoriatic arthritis of the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for a cervical spine disorder, need to be remanded due to incomplete evidence. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT) must be confirmed, and all relevant medical records should be obtained.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance, warranting an effective date of January 8, 2014 for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.
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