Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that the appellant is entitled to recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for the purpose of establishing entitlement to VA death benefits.

The VA physician provided a negative opinion regarding the Veteran's laryngeal cancer and its connection to exposure at Camp Lejeune or asbestos exposure while aboard USS Iwo Jima. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for residuals of esophageal stricture was denied, and his claim for service connection for a sleep disorder was also denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for service connection of a left hand disability. The Board has dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's hematological disability, including myelofibrosis and anemia, is being remanded for further development due to the need for a dose estimate of ionizing radiation exposure during Operation Dominic II atmospheric testing in July 1962. Additionally, his claim will be reviewed by a VA examiner to determine if his current conditions are related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam and Thailand.

The Board has determined that the current decision is not final and requires further development to determine if the appellant's service should be considered a separate period of service for VA benefits purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a compensable dental disability for VA compensation purposes, and thus service connection cannot be granted.

The Board denied the appellant's request for a waiver of overpayment of surviving spouse's pension benefits, finding that recovery would not be against equity and good conscience due to her fault in creating the debt.

The appellant has withdrawn the appeal, and it is dismissed.

The Board has granted an effective date of April 3, 2003 for the award of service connection for CAD based on a liberalizing law that added ischemic heart disease to the list of conditions presumptively due to exposure to herbicides. The Veteran filed a claim for PTSD which was granted in July 2003 and an NOD with respect to this decision was received within one year, despite being misfiled at the Board.

The Board has determined that the proceeds of the Veteran's National Service Life Insurance policy should be awarded to D.D., who is the validly designated beneficiary.

The Veteran's service-connected duodenal ulcer with hiatal hernia did not render him unable to follow or secure a substantially gainful occupation prior to November 28, 1990. As such, the claim for TDIU was denied.

The Veteran's mother, J.H., is found to be a dependent parent and entitled to apportionment of his VA benefits during his incarceration from March [redacted], 2005, to July [redacted], 2008.

The Board has determined that the cause of the Veteran's death was bacterial sepsis, pulmonary embolus with metastatic esophageal cancer. The service-connected chronic bronchitis and COPD did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pterygia are related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities prior to June 26, 2013. The Board grants a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current lower extremity vascular disability is etiologically linked to his military service. The claim will be readjudicated following this examination.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his left knee disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination, as well as potential consideration of the TDIU claim in conjunction with the increased rating claim.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain a document containing the Veteran's name from Dugway Proving Ground and to seek medical opinions regarding heart disease, service-connected hyperthyroidism, and Agent Orange exposure. The claim will be reconsidered based on all evidence.