Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the character of the Veteran's discharge does not constitute a bar to receipt of VA benefits.

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

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional records from a private provider. The specific conditions, issues, and service connection theory are not provided in the text.

The Board has determined that it is as likely as not that the Veteran's in-service conditions, including gonorrhea, urethritis, and non-venereal balanitis, contributed to his development of metastatic cancer which ultimately led to his death. The claim for service connection for cause of death is therefore granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a videoconference hearing, and will not accept jurisdiction over his heart disease claim at this time.

The Veteran's claim for non-service connected pension benefits with special monthly pension (SMP) based on the need for aid and attendance from September 4, 2013 until December 1, 2014 was granted as his net worth did not exceed the maximum limit allowed by law.

The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's gout is related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides or cold injury. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected vascular venous insufficiency of the right and left lower extremities is rated at 40 percent each, effective June 14, 2004. The RO has not considered a pre-aggravation baseline level of disability in determining the current rating.

The Veteran's psoriatic arthritis involving the fingers, hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders and knees has been rated at 60 percent effective from May 4, 2016. Prior to this date, he was rated at 40 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including residuals of pneumonia, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between his in-service pneumonia and his current pulmonary condition.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's loss of taste and smell is related to his service, including exposure to toxins in the Persian Gulf or treatment for pneumonia. The examiner must also address whether any loss of taste or smell is due to tobacco use.

The Board found that the Veteran was at fault in creating the overpayment due to his failure to adhere to the terms and conditions of his release, resulting in a warrant for his arrest. Recovery of the overpayment would not defeat the purpose of VA compensation benefits.

The Veteran's Ewing's sarcoma has been fully resolved and is no longer considered a service-connected condition, as evidenced by the reduction in his disability rating from 100% to 0%. The effective date of this change was January 1, 2012.

The Board found that the Veteran's kidney disorder, diagnosed as FSGS, was not incurred in service and is not otherwise related to service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a lack of medical evidence addressing the functional effects of pain and other symptoms associated with the Veteran's service-connected right mandible fracture and TMJ.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain and associate relevant medical records, including a Goldmann Perimeter Chart from November 2013. The claim is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected gastroparesis is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher initial rating of 20 percent is warranted since the grant of service connection.

The Veteran's left foot hallux valgus (bunion) was granted an initial 10 percent disability rating, effective from the date of the May 2009 decision. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is remanded for further development.