The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for decreased sensation, periorbital area - fifth cranial nerve/trigeminal has been withdrawn and is therefore dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his deviated septum is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right forearm condition (also claimed as numbness and painful scar) is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and anxiety, is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for opioid use disorder (to include residuals of such disorder) is remanded.
The deciding factor: In a letter received on August 13, 2021, the Veteran withdrew his claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for decreased sensation, periorbital area - fifth cranial nerve/trigeminal.,The VA examination failed to consider the Veteran's symptoms, such as clogging and drainage issues. The Board therefore remands the matter for an additional VA examination of the Veteran's deviated septum with consideration of his testimony and contemporaneous symptoms.,The Veteran has not been provided adequate notice of the requirements to substantiate the claim for TDIU, nor has the regional office addressed it in the first instance. Additionally, adjudication of the currently pending claims may impact the claim for TDIU.,As part of his assigned mission, the Veteran built and destroyed bridges while using a jackhammer, which resulted in an injury to his arm. The Board requests that the AOJ obtain and associate with the claims file any outstanding Service Treatment Records (STRs), specifically those from Hanover, Germany.,The Veteran's testimony indicates that he has anxiety symptoms and asserts that his acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service-connected PTSD. The Board therefore remands this matter for an additional VA examination to determine whether the Veteran has an acquired psychiatric disorder, including any diagnosis of anxiety and/or PTSD.,The Veteran testified that he began using opioids in service when prescribed and treated with opioid medications as a result of injuries sustained during service. The Board therefore remands this matter for an additional VA examination to determine the etiology of his opioid use disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Decreased sensation, periorbital area - fifth cranial nerve/trigeminal, Deviated septum, Right forearm condition (numbness and painful scar), Acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and anxiety), Opioid use disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2021
- Citation
- 21076457
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 21076457.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's injuries sustained in a June 2021 motorcycle accident were not incurred in line of duty due to his own willful misconduct, and therefore, service connection for all claimed conditions is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, migraine headache disability, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and anxiety.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the issues of entitlement to service connection for sinus infections and an increased disability rating for tension headaches with migraines due to improper concurrent election, while remanding the issue of entitlement to service connection for a deviated septum.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not cause the level of impairment required for a higher rating.
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