The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for sinusitis and GERD, but denied higher ratings for asthma, allergic rhinitis, left inguinal hernia, scar, fatigue, right shoulder, right wrist, bilateral leg, left shoulder, and left wrist disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a higher initial 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected sinusitis due to its manifestations of headaches, pain, purulent discharge, and 7 or more non-incapacitating episodes per year. However, there is no evidence supporting a higher rating for asthma, allergic rhinitis, left inguinal hernia, scar, fatigue, right shoulder, right wrist, bilateral leg, left shoulder, and left wrist disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Sinusitis, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Asthma, Allergic rhinitis, Left inguinal hernia, status-post repair, Scar, status-post left inguinal hernia repair, Fatigue as due to in-service participation in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA), Right shoulder disability (claimed as right shoulder and arm joint pain) as due to in-service participation in a TERA, Right wrist disability (claimed as right wrist joint pain) as due to in-service participation in a TERA, Bilateral leg disability (claimed as bilateral leg joint pain) as due to in-service participation in a TERA, Left shoulder disability (claimed as left shoulder and arm joint pain) as due to in-service participation in a TERA, Left wrist disability (claimed as left wrist joint pain) as due to in-service participation in a TERA, Muscle tension headaches, including as due to an undiagnosed illness or residuals of a neck injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25035114
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matters for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and conducting VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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