The Veteran's claim for service connection for rhinitis is granted, while the claims for sinusitis, myopia, cervical spine disability with arthritis, erectile dysfunction, left ankle sprain and Achilles tendon disability, left shoulder sprain, right shoulder sprain, pulled groin, left knee strain, right knee strain, bilateral plantar fasciitis, right ankle sprain and Achilles tendon disability, left carpal tunnel disability, right carpal tunnel disability, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as nerve damage), right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as nerve damage), left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as nerve damage), and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as nerve damage) are denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae is also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has been granted service connection for rhinitis based on exposure to fine particulate matter during his service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, which qualifies him under VA regulations for this presumption. The other conditions were either not shown during service or are not considered chronic diseases that would warrant presumptive service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- rhinitis, sinusitis, myopia, cervical spine disability with arthritis, erectile dysfunction, left ankle sprain and disability of the Achilles tendon, left shoulder sprain, right shoulder sprain, pulled groin, left knee strain, right knee strain, bilateral plantar fasciitis, right ankle sprain and disability of the Achilles tendon, left carpal tunnel disability, right carpal tunnel disability, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as nerve damage), right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as nerve damage), left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as nerve damage), right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as nerve damage), pseudofolliculitis barbae
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2024
- Citation
- A24085633
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 A24085633.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's rhinitis and gastric ulcer with hiatal hernia were evaluated, but the Board found that neither condition warranted a higher rating.,For rhinitis, the evidence did not show greater than 50 percent obstruction of both nasal passages or complete obstruction on one side. For gastric ulcer with hiatal hernia, symptoms were described as infrequent and mild.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran meets the basic medical eligibility criteria for PCAFC benefits due to his need for personal care services based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury. However, further clinical evaluation is needed to determine if participation in the program is in the Veteran's best interest.
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