Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected left and right Achilles tendon insertion calcifications have been rated at 10 percent each, but the Board finds that these ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has granted initial compensable ratings of 30% for the Veteran's bilateral fifth toe deformity, finding that his symptoms include tenderness to palpation and constant pain with prolonged standing and walking, preventing him from wearing shoes without intense pain.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prepatellar bursitis, as manifested by flexion to 100 degrees and extension to 10 degrees with pain, warrants a 10 percent disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's currently diagnosed BPH is related to his active military service or his already service-connected testicular disability. The examiner will also provide opinions on whether the prostate disorder is at least as likely as not caused by, permanently worsened by, or otherwise related to the service-connected testicular disability.

The Board denied a request for an earlier effective date of April 1, 2007 for the apportionment of the Veteran's VA compensation benefits. The appellant's initial claim was received on March 6, 2007, and she requested retroactive apportionment based on her child's birth prior to that date.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted in a June 2016 decision, but the appeal is dismissed as moot because the grant of the benefit has rendered the issue moot.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for a dependency allowance for his adopted child W.H. as he did not submit required documentation to establish the adoption.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to schedule a videoconference hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after the scheduled hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis or residuals of bilateral perforated ear drums, and thus service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's household income for pension purposes exceeds the applicable maximum annual pension rate (MAPR) and thus, he is not eligible for VA non-service-connected pension benefits.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's urinary disability is not related to his active service and is more likely due to his diabetes. As a result, the claim for service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a Gulf War VA medical examination to determine if the Veteran's symptoms are due to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness based on his Persian Gulf service. The claim will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's cause of death, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, was not related to his military service and is denied.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred during retina surgery on November 23, 2009 at Mease Countryside Hospital is denied as the criteria for payment or reimbursement under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1725 were not met.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his diabetes mellitus contributed substantially or materially to his death from hepatocellular cancer (HCC).

The Veteran's right little finger and ring finger disabilities have been rated at 0 percent disabling, as there is no evidence of ankylosis or amputation. The VA examinations did not include passive range of motion testing for the joints in question.

The Board found the overpayment of $15,036 was validly created and denied a waiver request due to the Veteran's fault in creating the debt.

The Veteran's psychiatric symptoms, including PTSD, are considered part of his service-connected unspecified depressive disorder. Granting a separate disability rating for PTSD would constitute pyramiding.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is in remission and not manifested by reoccurrence or metastasis.,From February 1, 2013 to March 25, 2014, the Veteran had voiding dysfunction with urine leakage that did not require absorbent material. After March 26, 2014, he required more than 4 changes of absorbent material per day.