The Veteran's claims for clothing allowances were denied as the topical anti-inflammatory cream and back brace did not meet the criteria for a clothing allowance under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The topical anti-inflammatory cream was not prescribed for a service-connected skin disability, and the back brace was fabric-covered and therefore not eligible for a clothing allowance.
- Claimed conditions
- right upper extremity cervical radiculopathy, cervical strain, left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy, posterior and lateral arthrotomies of the right elbow, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy of both the right and left lower extremities, left index finger stenosis, recurrent bronchitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 31, 2018
- Citation
- 18106815
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 18106815.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions were granted effective from July 1, 2020.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to a procedural defect in filing the claims on the correct form.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches and cervical strain due to a duty to assist error. The AOJ failed to obtain VA medical opinions addressing the etiology of these disabilities.
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