Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Veteran's oropharyngeal cancer is found to be at least as likely as not related to his service in Vietnam, including exposure to Agent Orange. Service connection for oropharyngeal cancer is granted.

The Board found that there is no evidence of current cold injury residuals of the upper extremities and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Tacoma General Allenmore Hospital on January 21, 2012 are not eligible for reimbursement by VA due to the presence of private insurance coverage.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as his residual paralysis of left vocal cord status post laryngeal cancer did not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's total blindness in his left eye is not due to his service-connected disability, and therefore he does not meet the criteria for an award of SMC at the '(k)' rate.

The Veteran's delusional disorder, mixed persecutory and grandiose type, is now rated at 100 percent disabling since July 29, 2014. He also has additional service-connected disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent, qualifying him for SMC at the housebound rate. As a result, his appeal for TDIU is dismissed as moot.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a left leg condition related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for a left elbow condition on a secondary basis, finding it related to the Veteran's service-connected ulnar neuritis. The skin condition claim is remanded due to inadequate examination and incomplete information. The TDIU issue remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Guillain-Barre Syndrome did not have its clinical onset during or as a result of service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's adult daughter, the appellant, is seeking additional reimbursement for expenses incurred during her father's last illness and burial. However, the appeal has been denied as there are no unpaid pension benefits available to compensate for these expenses since the maximum monthly rate was already provided through December 31, 2008.

The Board has determined that the appellant is not eligible for educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve due to a suspension of his eligibility from March 7, 2011 to May 16, 2015. As a result, the appeal is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left hip disorder is not related to his military service and is instead secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. As such, service connection for a left hip disorder cannot be granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a video conference hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Board has remanded the claim due to a lack of a VA medical examination, and it is unclear if there is sufficient evidence to establish service connection for multiple myeloma as secondary to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected varicose veins of the right and left lower extremities have been rated at 40 percent each, effective from October 20, 2011.

The Board denied service connection for a lower back disability, neck numbness and pain, and left leg condition as the evidence did not show these conditions were related to active duty or any period of ACDUTRA/INACDUTRA.

The Board found that the appellant's discharge under other than honorable conditions was due to willful and persistent misconduct, which constitutes a bar to entitlement to VA benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate efforts by VA in obtaining the Veteran's U.S. Army Reserve service treatment records and for further development of his bilateral elbow disability claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's vitiligo is not related to service or his service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB). Therefore, the claim for service connection for vitiligo was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's carcinoma of the left testicle and squamous cell carcinoma of the left ear are not service-connected, with no causal relationship to herbicide agent exposure or other in-service events.