Other conditions decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Memorial Hospital Jacksonville is being remanded due to insufficient information and incomplete records. The case will be returned to the Board for further development.

The Veteran's postoperative complications from a June 2003 radical prostatectomy, including urinary incontinence and the need for anticoagulation therapy due to prolonged bleeding, were not reasonably foreseeable. The Board finds that these complications are service-connected.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lymphatic system cancer, claimed as Hodgkin's Lymphoma but adjudicated as Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL), is being remanded due to a discrepancy in the diagnosis and potential herbicide exposure.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for nerve damage due to electrical shock and remanded it for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye condition, including as secondary to his service-connected hepatitis B, is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of records.

The Veteran's Crohn's Disease is found to be incurred as a result of active duty service, specifically exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected right knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination and updated treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected hallux valgus with bunionectomy and hammertoes of the left foot, as well as hallux valgus and hammertoes of the right foot, have been rated at 20 percent and 10 percent respectively. The Board has determined that these ratings are not in accordance with the criteria for a higher rating.

The November 29, 2011 Board decision denied an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent for traumatic arthritis of the lumbar spine and granted a 20 percent increase for cervical spine arthritis.,The effective date for the 20 percent increase for cervical spine arthritis was March 28, 2008.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed pulmonary disorder is not related to service, including asbestos exposure.

The Board found that there was no pending claim for service connection for a disability due to Agent Orange exposure at the time of the Veteran's death, and thus denied accrued benefits based on such a claim.

The Veteran's nodular gastritis with gastric polyp symptoms and antral gastritis is rated at 30 percent, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's active duty service from September 11, 2001 to November 30, 2009, constitutes full-time service in the National Guard of a State for the purposes of organizing, administering, recruiting, instructing, or training the National Guard. The Board finds that he is eligible for educational assistance benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill Program.

The Veteran's service-connected narcolepsy with associated fatigue is rated at 20 percent effective January 15, 2013.

The Board found that the calculation of the Veteran's countable income effective February 1, 2012, was correct and thus denied his claim for an adjustment in the monthly award amount.

The Veteran's right rib pain condition was deemed to be an emergency requiring immediate medical attention due to the severity of his symptoms and concerns about potential spinal injury. The Board found that it would have been reasonable for a prudent layperson to seek medical care, but given the distance to VA facilities and the Veteran's inability to travel, he sought treatment at a non-VA hospital.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his prostate cancer and radiation cystitis is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated as noncompensably disabling, and his cardiomyopathy is rated as noncompensably disabling. The Veteran was granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill) is denied as he did not use the benefits prior to the delimiting date of January 27, 1997.

The Board found that the appellant's current bilateral lower extremity disability, including his lower legs and feet, was not incurred in active service or related to any incident therein. The claim for service connection is denied.