The Veteran's tinea pedis and allergic rhinosinusitis were not found to meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,High cholesterol was deemed not a ratable disability for VA compensation purposes.,Service connection for a back disability, bilateral leg disability, BPH, hearing loss, tinnitus, rash on legs and buttocks, and hypertension could not be established due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or within one year post-service.,However, the Veteran's insomnia was found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s topical cream used for tinea pedis did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as it was not systemic therapy and affected less than 5% of exposed area.,Allergic rhinosinusitis did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating due to lack of polyps or significant obstruction.,High cholesterol is not considered a ratable disability for VA compensation purposes.,The earliest documented complaints of back, leg, BPH, hearing loss, tinnitus, rash on legs and buttocks, and hypertension were more than four decades after separation from service. The evidence did not establish a link to service or within one year post-service.,Service connection was denied for the Veteran's bilateral leg disability as there is no evidence of radiculopathy related to his back disability during service or within one year post-service.,The Veteran’s BPH, hearing loss, tinnitus, rash on legs and buttocks, and hypertension were not found to be linked to service or within one year post-service. The only link was insomnia secondary to PTSD.,Service connection for hypertension was denied as there is no evidence of a compensable degree of disability within one year post-service.,Insomnia was granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- tinea pedis (athlete's foot/toe fungus), allergic rhinosinusitis, high cholesterol, back disability, bilateral leg disability (claimed as radicular pain from a back disability), benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, rash on the legs and buttocks, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004565
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
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