Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a groin disability, claimed as bilateral orchialgia from a vasectomy reversal during service, was reopened due to new and material evidence. The Board found that the Veteran's chronic epididymitis is related to his active military service and granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for loss of sense of smell was denied by the Board. The condition is rated under the appropriate diagnostic code, and there are no other schedular provisions that would apply to his case.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and VA medical records, as well as scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that there is no currently diagnosed right elbow or right hand condition, and thus the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection as secondary to his service-connected right wrist disorder.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain private treatment records and a medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death. The appellant seeks service connection for the cause of her husband's death, which she asserts was caused by rheumatoid arthritis.

The appellant, as the surviving spouse of the Veteran who died in December 2010, is granted eligibility to substitute as claimant for his pending appeal regarding service connection for bladder cancer. The effective date remains pending and no rating has been assigned.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's service connection claim for basal cell carcinoma should be granted based on exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The case is being remanded for additional information and medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left hand conditions have been granted service connection, but his claims for increased ratings of his wrists are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further action to recalculate the Veteran's income and expenses, including A.P., as a member of his household. The decision is pending further review.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cold injury residuals, bilateral lower extremities was granted. The Board also found that the Veteran's lumbar injury is related to his frostbite injuries and remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his frostbite.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development to assess the severity of his service-connected neurally mediated syncope.

The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for the Veteran's membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis from July 2, 2012. The Veteran previously had a noncompensable rating prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development, including an addendum opinion regarding the diagnosis of dry eyes and its relation to service.

The Board found no evidence of additional disability resulting from the February 2010 left arthroplasty and concluded that the Veteran's current throat issues are not related to his knee surgery.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for lupus erythema, claimed as a skin disease of the face.

The Board found that the Veteran's right foot disability, manifested by painful motion, warranted a 10 percent initial rating effective October 13, 2011.

The Board denied the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for shell fragment wounds of the bilateral legs in August 2004. The RO found that no new and material evidence had been received since then, thus denying the reopening of the claim. The issue of an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral spondylosis was also denied.

The Board has requested a videoconference hearing for the Veteran's jaw disability claim due to his request and because in-service records of jaw complaints were not located. The case is REMANDED for further action.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining additional medical records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral foot condition is pending.