Hemorrhoids decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such nature and severity as to preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's appeal was granted for the issues of entitlement to higher initial disability ratings for PTSD, a right ankle disability, and GERD; and service connection for hemorrhoids. The denial of service connection for TBI remains in effect.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and to issue a Statement of the Case on several issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable disability rating for hemorrhoids and service connection for a right eye disability due to incomplete development of her records, including those from the Atlanta VA Medical Center. The Veteran is advised that she must provide releases for any additional treatment or evaluation records.

The Veteran's appeal for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is dismissed because he has already been granted service connection for the gastrointestinal disability and hemorrhoids.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for the cause of his death and DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, finding that there was no evidence linking any service-connected disability to his death.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for residuals of a gunshot wound to the head and right and left knee injuries, but denied the claims for hemorrhoids and folliculitis abscess cysts due to lack of evidence of current disability. The claim for service connection for residuals of a laceration of the right 3rd finger is not addressed as it was not part of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected hemorrhoids have not been manifested by thrombotic and irreducible hemorrhoids with excessive redundant tissue evidencing frequent recurrences. As a result, a compensable disability rating is denied.

The Board found no evidence of a separately diagnosable chronic nausea disorder and denied the Veteran's service connection claims for a liver disorder, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis. The claim for service connection for chronic nausea was also denied as there is no objective evidence linking it to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's hemorrhoids have been evaluated as noncompensable under the applicable rating criteria. The Board finds that there is no evidence of large or thrombotic hemorrhoids, with excessive redundant tissue, evidencing frequent occurrences, or persistent bleeding with secondary anemia or fissures.

The Veteran's service connection for hemorrhoids and constipation is granted. For the period from October 30, 2010 to February 9, 2011, he was awarded a 10% initial rating for hypertension. Prior to that date, his hypertension did not meet the criteria for any compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to appear at a previously scheduled videoconference hearing. The case will be returned for further action.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the September 2012 rating decision for hemorrhoids was denied due to no CUE being found. The claim of service connection for a stroke/cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and TDIU were also denied as there is no evidence that indicates the Veteran's stroke/CVA was related to his service or any other service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge of the Board via video conference at his local regional office.

The Veteran's hemorrhoids and herpes were first diagnosed during service and have persisted since. The Board finds that the criteria for service connection are met.

The Board denied service connection for glaucoma, an acquired psychiatric disability, and other conditions. The Veteran appealed these decisions to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Veterans Court), which granted a joint motion vacating the May 2009 decision denying service connection for glaucoma and an acquired psychiatric disability and remanded those issues to the Board.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee DJD, left knee DJD, and hemorrhoids were denied. The RO found that the current evaluations adequately reflected the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for additional dependency benefits was granted with an effective date of December 1, 1995.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including cholecystectomy residuals, GERD, depression, knee disabilities, respiratory disorder, allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, hemorrhoids, skin disability, traumatic brain injury residuals other than headaches, headaches, right eye trauma residuals, dry eye syndrome, and erectile dysfunction are all granted.,The Veteran's service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea, headaches, dry eye syndrome, and erectile dysfunction were found to be related to his active duty service.