Other conditions decisions — 2016

The VA determined that the Veteran's additional disabilities, including chronic neck and left arm pain, left arm numbness, and left arm muscle loss, were not caused by or related to the December 2005 cervical spine surgery performed at a VA Medical Center.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder is not related to her military service and therefore denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for uveitis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his military service. Service connection for leukopenia was not addressed in this decision.

The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to an effective date of January 11, 2006 for her claim of additional dependent compensation for her spouse. The earliest she was entitled to payment was February 1, 2006.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of any current lung disability, including whether it is related to in-service exposure to ionizing radiation or asbestos. The Veteran's claim will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to incomplete development of his claim for a compensable disability rating for calculus of the right sublingual gland. The case will be returned to the Board after additional development.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left fifth toe bunionectomy residuals have resulted in moderately severe disability, as demonstrated by pain that limits walking distance and weight-bearing. The criteria for an initial rating higher than 20 percent have not been met.

The Board found that the Veteran's left CTS is not related to his service-connected postganglion cyst removal and denied service connection for this condition. The ratings for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss were also addressed, but no specific summary was provided.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are rated at 100 percent, qualifying him for VA outpatient dental treatment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the bilateral hands and feet is being remanded due to insufficient development. The Board requests an addendum opinion from a VA examiner to address whether DJD of the hands and feet is causally or etiologically related to service, including consideration of lay statements regarding post-service symptomatology.

The Board denied an increased rating for service-connected diverticulosis of the colon in April 21, 1976. The Veteran's motion to revise this decision on grounds of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) was denied as there was no evidence that the result would have been different if the Board had considered the propriety of the reduction.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal on the issues of entitlement to a rating higher than 50 percent for recurrent syncopal episodes, to include on an extraschedular basis, and service connection for a left hand disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing at his local RO.

The Veteran's skin cancer, including basal and squamous cell carcinoma, is being remanded for further examination to determine if it is related to his service exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral claw feet with bilateral hallux valgus deformities of the great toes is denied. The maximum schedular rating has been assigned.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination of his service-connected bilateral Achilles tendon insertion calcification and retrieval of any relevant medical records.

The Board has granted the appeal for an additional dependent allowance for DIC benefits, recognizing B.U. as the adopted child of the Veteran and allowing the Veteran's surviving spouse to claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of a 100 percent disability rating for panic disorder with palpitations and mood disorder is dismissed because it was not filed as a claim for clear and unmistakable error, but rather as a free-standing claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including an examination by a rheumatologist.