The Veteran's chronic headaches are found to be related to his service, specifically exposure to hazardous chemicals during deployment. Service connection is granted.,Right foot metatarsalgia is found to have been caused by an injury sustained while playing football in-service. Service connection is granted.,Left knee osteoarthritis is found to be related to a twisting injury that occurred in-service while playing football. Service connection is granted.,Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy in left lower extremity are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset or aggravation during service.,The Veteran's radiculopathy in left lower extremity is also remanded for similar reasons.
The deciding factor: Service connection is granted based on the Veteran's reported exposure to hazardous chemicals during deployment, which caused his chronic headaches. The examiner found no clear evidence of a pre-existing condition.,The Veteran's right foot metatarsalgia was linked to an injury sustained while playing football in-service and not related to any service-connected conditions or exposures. Service connection is granted based on the positive opinion from Dr. MBS.,Left knee osteoarthritis was found to be a result of a twisting injury that occurred during play in-service, which led to degenerative changes. The Veteran's current condition is linked to his reported in-service injury and service connection is granted.,The Board finds insufficient evidence regarding the onset or aggravation of degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy in left lower extremity due to service. Therefore, these claims are remanded for further evaluation.,Similarly, the Veteran's radiculopathy in left lower extremity is also found to be related to his reported injury during play in-service. Service connection is granted based on this finding.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic headaches, right foot metatarsalgia, left knee osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, rheumatism in left lower extremity (radiculopathy)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 24, 2022
- Citation
- 22054437
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 22054437.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted. The initial rating of 10 percent, but not higher, has been assigned for pulmonary sarcoidosis. Service connection has also been established for migraine headaches, degenerative arthritis in the left knee, right knee disorder (osteoarthritis), right ankle sprain, right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, bilateral flat feet, and various foot conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating, compensable rating, and extension of temporary total evaluation for his lumbar spine disability have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing all claims in April 2022.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, including degenerative arthritis and IVDS. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service injury during active duty and his continuous symptoms since then.
- Granted
The Veteran's effective date for service connection of left leg amputation and associated scars, as well as SMC based on loss of use of the left leg, is set to January 28, 2022. The effective date for DEA eligibility is also set to January 28, 2022. An effective date prior to January 28, 2022, was denied for service connection of chronic headaches.
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