Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of a lightning strike, including right leg swelling and discoloration. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's residuals of brain aneurysm of the left side with short-term memory loss are currently rated at a 10 percent disability rating, effective July 1, 2006.

The Board has remanded the appeal to the AOJ for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records, as well as scheduling a VA examination. The appellant's claims for special monthly pension based on need of aid and attendance/housebound status are being reconsidered.

The Veteran's entitlement to additional VA education benefits under Chapters 30 and 33 was denied as he received the maximum allowable benefits.

The VA Director of Compensation and Pension Service denied an extraschedular rating for the service-connected right hand disability, finding that the available schedular ratings adequately describe the Veteran's level of impairment.

The Board found that the Veteran's generalized arthritis and gout were not incurred in service or related to his military service, thus denying service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's income exceeded the applicable income limits for non-service-connected pension benefits in 2008, resulting in a denial of his claim.

The Veteran's surviving spouse failed to meet the legal criteria for accrued benefits as there were no pending claims at the time of his death and he had not added her as a dependent during his lifetime.

The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the neck did not manifest during service or within a year of service, and was not caused by any in-service event, including herbicide exposure. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate opinions in his VA examination reports and because of the need for an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his eye disability.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for residuals of right eye cataract surgery due to VA medical treatment in January 2008 is denied as the evidence does not show that the surgery was due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain any new treatment records since November 2013 and review them with a VA clinician who provided opinions in October 2015 and March 2016. The case will be remanded for further development.

The Board found that the Veteran's fecal incontinence did not occur during service or as a result of her service-connected conditions, including Hepatitis C. The Board concluded that there was no causal relationship between her service-connected disabilities and her current condition.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain treatment records and a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's circulatory disorder, which may affect his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right arm fracture and left tailbone fracture are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of narcolepsy and finds no evidence linking his sleep disorder to his active service. Therefore, service connection for narcolepsy is denied.

The Board has remanded both the left hip and OSA claims for additional development, including an addendum opinion from a pulmonologist/sleep medicine specialist to address whether the Veteran's OSA is secondary to his service-connected GERD.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that there is no current coccyx disability and therefore, the Veteran's claim for service connection for a coccyx disability cannot be granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's macular degeneration, a congenital disease, was incurred during his period of active duty service and is therefore granted service connection.