The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a separately diagnosed claustrophobia disability and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for this condition. The remaining claims have been remanded for additional development.
The deciding factor: There was no medical or credible lay evidence showing a current diagnosis of claustrophobia separate from PTSD, which is already service-connected.
- Claimed conditions
- claustrophobia, cataract of the left eye, gouty arthritis, bilateral elbow disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, low back disability, bilateral hallux valgus, signs or symptoms involving the eyes (claimed as tunnel vision), signs or symptoms involving the skin (claimed as rashes)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2018
- Citation
- 1816373
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 1816373.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in the July 2012 VA examination for the Veteran's left knee disability, and a new addendum opinion is needed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for shin splints, right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), stomach disability, and left ear hearing loss due to errors in providing notice of the right to a hearing.
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