The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for fibromyalgia has been denied as the first diagnosis was in August 2013.,The Veteran’s claims for service connection related to Gulf War exposure have been remanded and a new VA examination is required.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no prior claim of fibromyalgia, and thus the effective date must be based on when the first diagnosis occurred. The Veteran's Gulf War exposure claims are remanded as they require additional medical opinion regarding the relationship to service.
- Claimed conditions
- fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, intermittent claudication, lower extremity edema, numbness in both upper and lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18132574
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 18132574.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
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