The Veteran's service-connected cyclothymic disorder with insomnia is granted, and he is assigned a 10 percent rating effective July 3, 1997. The Veteran's muscle spasms and joint pain are found to be due to his service-connected cervical spine degenerative disc disease, bilateral shoulder degenerative joint disease, bilateral lateral epicondylitis, and ORIF of the right ankle.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms of muscle spasms and joint pain were objectively linked to his service-connected cervical spine disorder, bilateral shoulder disorders, and a previous injury that required ORIF of the right ankle. These conditions are presumed due to active duty service in the Southwest Asia theater during the Gulf War.
- Claimed conditions
- muscle spasms, joint pain, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, bilateral shoulder degenerative joint disease, bilateral lateral epicondylitis, ORIF (open reduction and internal fixation) of the right ankle
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 17, 2018
- Citation
- 1822993
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 1822993.
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.
- 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 Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for attention deficit disorder and joint pain due to his death during the appeal process.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from engaging in gainful employment as of January 1, 2019. The Board granted a TDIU effective from that date.
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