Other conditions decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for an examination to assess the severity of his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that the appellant's January 2013 submission was a notice of disagreement with the September 2012 decision, and not a new claim. The case is now remanded for readjudication in light of this finding.

The Veteran's appeal is for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for bilateral lower extremity gout. The AOJ has remanded the case to consider additional evidence and address all pertinent evidence since the grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's dental trauma was incurred in the line of duty and not due to willful misconduct, thus granting service connection for his loss of teeth.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected back disability. The claim for an increased rating for residuals of compression fractures L1 and T5 will be adjudicated again.

The Veteran claims service connection for multiple myeloma, including as due to exposure to herbicides. The RO found no Vietnam service and denied the claim. However, further development is needed based on a recent court decision that requires fact-based assessment of potential herbicide exposure in non-traditional inland waterways.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of death pension benefits, finding that the appellant's claim was not pending prior to August 13, 2013, and thus she is not eligible for VA death pension benefits prior to this date.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to assess the severity of the service-connected residuals of gunshot wounds to the left thigh, Muscle Groups XIII and XIV. The claim will be readjudicated based on the findings from this examination.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining medical records from MD Anderson Cancer Center and readjudicating the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board found that the Veteran's left hemifacial microsomia and lymphedema were aggravated by service, while his dental disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's last VA benefits were paid in August 2006. The appellant is not the surviving spouse and there are no accrued benefits due to her.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's colon cancer with liver metastasis is related to his service, including exposure to burn pits during his service in Kuwait.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of a back injury were incurred in service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's cardiac disability, characterized by arrhythmia and first-degree AV block with pacemaker implantation, has been rated at 10 percent. The Board found that the current workload does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board found that there is no current diagnosed mood disorder related to service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's varicose veins, right leg status post excision of veins, are currently manifested by aching and fatigue after prolonged standing or walking, with persistent edema and stasis pigmentation. The Board finds that the current rating of 40 percent adequately describes his disability level and symptomatology.

The Board found that the Veteran's stroke and associated residuals were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and specifically ruled out a link to his service-connected aortic valve insufficiency.

The Board found that the Veteran's ischemic stroke and small bowel obstruction were not caused by his service-connected conditions, but rather by other risk factors such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have any service connection for avascular necrosis, Bell's palsy, or broken teeth due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The claims were denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including providing proper notice and obtaining medical records.