The Board granted service connection for sinusitis and rhinitis, which are presumed to be related to the Veteran's exposure to fine particulate matter while serving in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War. The claim for an earlier effective date was denied.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the lack of evidence showing a claim or communication seeking service connection prior to May 23, 2019, and the presumption of exposure to fine particulate matter due to the Veteran's service in Southwest Asia during the Persian Gulf War.
- Claimed conditions
- old nondisplaced scaphoid fracture right wrist with residual post-traumatic arthritis, sinusitis and rhinitis, neck disability, back disability, left arm disability, left hand/finger disability, left wrist disability, left leg disability, right arm disability, to include as secondary to the service-connected right wrist disability, right finger disability, to include as secondary to the service-connected right wrist disability, foot fungus, two hernias, status-post surgeries, tinnitus, to include as secondary to service-connected post-traumatic headaches, posttraumatic headaches, PTSD and traumatic brain injury with vertigo
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2025
- Citation
- A25049775
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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