Other conditions decisions — 2016

The Veteran's death was due to nonservice-connected causes and he was entitled to burial at a private cemetery. The VA awarded the appellant $300 for burial expenses, but not an additional $300 for plot allowance as she requested.

The Veteran was not diagnosed with Paget's disease during his active service, and the Board finds that the condition is not related to his military service. The claim for service connection for Paget's disease is denied.

The Veteran's retroactive payment of Chapter 33 educational assistance benefits is granted as of January 16, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for HIV disease is being remanded due to the need for further development, including a new VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral testicular hydroceles are found to have clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service but were aggravated during his period of active duty. The issue of lymphoma of the left testicle is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and a supplemental opinion regarding whether his squamous cell carcinoma of the left true vocal cord was successfully treated and without local recurrence or metastasis, and whether it is in remission.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a dose estimate and medical opinion regarding his colon cancer.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating and extension of a temporary total rating was denied. The service-connected right great toe disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, with no evidence of severe postoperative residuals.

The Veteran's back disability was rated at 40% prior to April 15, 2010 and at 20% thereafter. The claim for increased ratings is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peptic ulcer disease was incurred in service, as there is clear and unmistakable evidence of a preexisting condition that did not worsen during service.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with mixed anxious and depressed moods is currently rated at 10 percent, effective prior to January 22, 2013. The claim for a higher rating remains pending.

The case is being remanded due to the absence of the Veteran's vocational rehabilitation file in the claims folder. The Veteran will be given an opportunity to respond after the additional information is considered.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for an addendum VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for shortness of breath and higher initial ratings for his right shoulder tendonitis, cervical spine disability, and right knee degenerative joint disease. The reduction in rating for the cervical spine disability was also found to be improper.

The Veteran's daughter, M, is seeking apportionment of the Veteran's benefits due to alleged non-payment or non-receipt of child support. The case is being remanded for further information regarding payments and receipts of child support from July 2009 through the present.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for additional VA compensation benefits based on the addition of his spouse C as a dependent was denied because he did not provide timely notice to VA of his divorce from his previous spouse R and subsequent marriage to C. The effective date for adding C as a dependent is set at May 1, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to ambiguity in the calculation of retroactive payment for overpayment error. A thorough, month-by-month accounting is needed to determine the time periods and benefits involved.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for genital herpes is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information provided in the notice letter, lack of VA examination for anemia, and need for additional medical records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for anemia on both direct and secondary bases.