The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability has been reopened, but the evidence does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is currently rated at 10 percent and there is no indication of nasal polyps. The current rating is appropriate given the severity of his symptoms.,The Veteran's eustachian tube dysfunction with ear infections and hearing loss has been rated as level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating.,The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating due to its limited extent of involvement on his body.,Service connection was granted for right hand arthritis and left hand arthritis, but neither condition has been rated as it is unclear if they are related to service.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish that the Veteran's neck disability is directly related to service. The claim has been reopened, but no additional evidence was provided to support a higher rating.,The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is currently rated at 10 percent and there are no indications of nasal polyps. The current rating is appropriate given the severity of his symptoms.,The Veteran's eustachian tube dysfunction with ear infections and hearing loss has been rated as level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating.,The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating due to its limited extent of involvement on his body.,Service connection was granted for right hand arthritis and left hand arthritis, but neither condition has been rated as it is unclear if they are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- neck disability, allergic rhinitis, eustachian tube dysfunction with ear infections and hearing loss, pseudofolliculitis barbae, right hand arthritis, left hand arthritis, peripheral neuropathy of the right foot, peripheral neuropathy of the left foot, eczema
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19178433
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 399 · Granted: 41% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19178433.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance, leading to the grant of SMC based on aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of a neck disability due to pre-decisional error in not obtaining a VA examination and medical opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an initial noncompensable rating for eczema was granted, effective November 5, 2024. The effective date could not be earlier due to the lack of a prior formal or informal claim within one year of receipt of the Intent to File.
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