Other conditions decisions — 2013

The Veteran's stomach cancer is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a medical opinion regarding the relationship between his stomach cancer and presumed herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current loss of front teeth to service, specifically attributing it to an in-service lip injury. The Veteran only has one service-connected disability (tinea pedis) and is not totally disabled due to a service-connected condition.

The Board has ordered the Veteran to return for follow-up x-rays to determine if he has any current residuals of a right leg injury sustained in service. The case is remanded for further development.

The claim for DEA benefits is being remanded due to the need for a certified copy of the adoption documents or birth certificate.

The Board is remanding the case to allow for further development and reconsideration of whether an overpayment of VA Dependents' Education Assistance (DEA) benefits was properly created, as well as the amount of any such overpayment. The appellant will also be given a chance to submit additional evidence regarding her request for waiver of recovery.

The Board found that the Veteran's rectal cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by service and did not grant service connection for this condition.

The Board has ordered additional development due to missing private treatment records related to the Veteran's bilateral hip disorder. The case will be remanded for further evidentiary development.

The claim for DEA benefits is being remanded due to the need for a certified copy of the adoption documents or a revised birth certificate.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain private treatment records, specifically related to hospitalizations and surgeries after service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil due to herbicide exposure was denied as there is no evidence that his condition was incurred or aggravated by service, including presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to comply with the duty to assist, specifically not ensuring that the duty to assist had been met by sending all relevant documents to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) for verification of service.

The Veteran's TMJ dysfunction has been rated at 10 percent since July 8, 2013. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for this period.

The Board found that there is no evidence to support the claim of service connection for tremors of the lower extremities, as they are not related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain additional medical records and provide the Veteran with a VA examination.

The Veteran does not have a currently diagnosed jaw disorder and the Board finds that any current symptoms are not related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's left hip disability was rated at 30 percent prior to January 27, 1998. After a total hip replacement in January 1998, the Veteran is now rated at 50 percent for his left hip disability.

The Board has reopened the claim and granted service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his in-service injury.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for shortness of breath and chest pain secondary to his service-connected anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a separate, nonservice-connected disability manifested by these symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records from various medical facilities. The appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected atrial fibrillation with mild mitral valve prolapse and regurgitation was granted, as the medical evidence established he experienced more than four episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation per year.