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
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 882 · Granted: 22% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 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.
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The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, endometriosis, thyroid condition, and chronic fatigue syndrome due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The claims are now considered on their merits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for additional VA examination. The Veteran's back disability is being reviewed again with new evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for back, hip, and lower extremity disabilities due to a lack of VA examination and outstanding treatment records. The Veteran's current diagnoses and lay statements will be considered in determining if his conditions are related to service.
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