The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is granted as service-connected, with a grant of service connection for chronic right ankle pain and stiffness as an undiagnosed illness. The arthritis of the lumbar spine and right ankle are denied.,Service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine is granted due to equipoise evidence. Service connection for right ankle arthritis is denied. Service connection for right ankle pain and stiffness (undiagnosed) is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's allergic rhinitis was diagnosed in service, with treatment records showing symptoms from April 1993 onwards. The VA examiner found the date of diagnosis to be around the 1990s, which aligns with the service treatment records.,For arthritis of the right ankle and chronic right ankle pain and stiffness (undiagnosed), there is equipoise evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service. For arthritis of the lumbar spine, there is no clear evidence of a current disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Allergic rhinitis, Arthritis of the right ankle, Chronic right ankle pain and stiffness (undiagnosed illness), Arthritis of the lumbar spine, Lumbar spine strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 2, 2024
- Citation
- A24043152
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 A24043152.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to February 5, 2024, for a 10 percent evaluation of allergic rhinitis was denied. The Veteran also appealed for a higher rating for his allergic rhinitis and this was denied as well.,The Veteran's PTSD with TBI claim is remanded due to inadequate medical examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error and remands the case for further development. The Veteran contends his allergic rhinitis began during service, but VA medical opinions have found no link between his current condition and service.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of allergic rhinitis. Service connection is granted for a skin disorder (Pseudofolliculitis barbae) and denied for a chronic cervical spine disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for GERD and allergic rhinitis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD, as there is no documented history of recurrent esophageal stricture causing dysphagia requiring daily medications or dilatation more than once per year. For allergic rhinitis, the Veteran's symptoms were not severe enough to warrant a compensable rating due to lack of polyps and obstruction.
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