Other conditions decisions — 2016

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and private medical records. The appellant's claim will be readjudicated based on all evidence received.

The Veteran's claim for basic eligibility to receive education assistance benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill is denied because he did not meet the criteria of having a discharge due to a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not due to a disability incurred in or aggravated by active service. The evidence does not show any relationship between his military service and his cause of death, which was pulmonary embolism and atrial fibrillation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current disability due to HPV is etiologically related to her military service and grants her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected hemorrhoids and right foot disability, as well as determining whether he has a current skin condition. The Veteran also needs to provide any private medical records related to his hemorrhoids.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected left otitis media and Eustachian tube dysfunction, finding that the evidence did not demonstrate suppuration or aural polyps. The Board also found no evidence of a hearing loss disability in the left ear for VA purposes. The Board concluded that the preponderance of the evidence was against the claim for an increased rating under DC 6200 and denied referral for extraschedular consideration.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for waiver of recovery of an overpayment of improved pension benefits in the amount of $13,783.17 due to significant fault on his part and lack of financial hardship.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blurred vision and impaired heart rhythm, finding no current disability of either condition.

The Veteran's postoperative bilateral inguinal hernias have manifested without current hernia protrusion, without hernia recurrence since surgery, and without truss or belt required; with episodes of lower abdominal and groin pain; and the surgical scars are undetectable and cause no loss of function or motion. The criteria for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for bilateral inguinal hernias have not been met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected emphysema contributed to his death by causing depression, which was a significant factor in his suicide.

The Board finds that the Veteran's annual countable income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate for a Veteran with no dependents from September 1, 2001 to March 1, 2002. Therefore, his claim is denied.

The appellant requested authorization for coverage of residential placement and non-health care services provided by two communities in Evansville, Indiana. The appeal was dismissed as the appellant's representative withdrew the appeal prior to a decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's current facial scar is not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and the need for a new medical opinion regarding the cause of death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected residuals of subtotal gastrectomy and vagotomy. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claim.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the increased rating and earlier effective date for his right midshaft closed femur fracture.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records. The examiner must determine if the Veteran has a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) related to his service-connected subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE)/discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), and provide an opinion on the severity of SLE.

The Veteran's treatment by VA in June 2006 resulted in additional disability, specifically residuals of cardiac catheterization with left ventricular angiography and coronary angiography, including bradycardiac arrest, cortical blindness, and partial right hemiparesis. The proximate cause was an event not reasonably foreseeable.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his left spontaneous pneumothorax is being remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination and opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right foot bursitis/Morton's neuroma and bilateral hammer toes are at least as likely as not caused by his active service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.