Other conditions decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and addressing whether a right leg disability is secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran is seeking earlier effective dates for increased evaluations of his service-connected manganese poisoning disabilities and TDIU. The Board will review the records to determine when it was factually ascertainable that there were increases in disability sufficient to warrant higher ratings.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an extension of her DEA benefits beyond March 12, 2009 as she did not meet the criteria for special restorative training or special assistance for the educationally disadvantaged.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's status post circumcision with residuals of groin injury, finding that his disability did not meet the criteria under Diagnostic Code 7521 (voiding dysfunction) and considering the opinion from the February 2013 VA examiner to be probative against a higher rating based on voiding dysfunction. The Board also considered whether a compensable rating could be assigned under Diagnostic Code 7522 for penile deformity with loss of erectile power, but found no evidence supporting such a finding.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU). The Board is dismissing the claim as it no longer has jurisdiction.

The Veteran developed gynecomastia as a result of medication (Spironolactone) prescribed for his hypertension. The Board finds that the development of gynecomastia was not an event reasonably foreseeable and grants compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's numbness in the extremities is not related to service and does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's traumatic encephalopathy, a service-connected condition, is not considered to be a contributory cause of his death due to metastatic colon cancer. The evidence does not support the conclusion that the traumatic encephalopathy caused debilitating effects or general impairment of health that rendered him materially less capable of resisting the colon cancer.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Medicare Part A and Part B do not cover all of the medical expenses incurred at Martin Memorial Medical Center from September 28, 2011 to September 30, 2011. Therefore, payment or reimbursement for this care is granted.

The Board found no evidence of a diagnosed condition related to service or an undiagnosed illness, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of shrapnel wounds to the left leg and buttocks is being remanded due to inadequate examination opinions. The examiner did not consider the Veteran's lay assertions regarding his in-service injury.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service in Guam, which could potentially grant service connection for his cause of death. The claim will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's appeal involves the reduction and termination of his nonservice-connected pension benefits, effective February 1, 2005, and January 1, 2007. The case is being remanded for further development to clarify the Veteran's income and net worth information.

The Board finds that the recoupment of disability severance pay through withholding of VA disability compensation benefits in the amount of $619.40 beginning on July 1, 2008 was proper.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left index finger disability and any associated scarring.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left elbow disability due to new evidence showing current left elbow pain and conditions. The Board found that this condition is related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and updating VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing. The issue of service connection for injury to teeth #23, #24, and #25 for compensation purposes remains pending.

The appellant is not eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits because her period of eligibility ended on her 26th birthday, and she did not meet the requirements to extend her eligibility.