The Board granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae and reopened the claims for anxiety disorder, myofascial pain syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine, left foot condition, to include left ankle injury. The claims for anxiety disorder and other conditions were remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lay statements and buddy statement provided new and material evidence that raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety disorder (claimed as depression), myofascial pain syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine (claimed as low back condition), left foot condition, to include left ankle injury, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2024
- Citation
- 24000252
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left foot condition, right foot condition, cellulitis, right ear hearing loss, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal of the proposal to reduce a 40 percent evaluation for lumbosacral strain was dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae and a rating in excess of 10 percent for a left ankle disability due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left and right eye dry eyes, cataracts of the left and right eyes, neuropathy of the left lower extremity, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left renal arteriovenous malformation, aneurysm, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, recurrent subluxation of the left knee prior to May 13, 2020, left total knee replacement, disability rating in excess of 60 percent from September 1, 2021, forward for left total knee replacement, DJD of the right knee, right knee instability, burns of the bilateral ankles, linear scar of the left knee, post-surgical tender scars of the left knee, and a total disability rating due to unemployability (TDIU) based upon service-connected disabilities prior to June 14, 2019.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for all the conditions listed as there was no evidence of an in-service event, nor is there evidence demonstrating a nexus to service.
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