Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board denied the claim of service connection for dental trauma resulting in missing teeth or other dental disability, finding that replaceable missing teeth are not a compensable disability and thus cannot be granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim for Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) was not received prior to October 25, 2010. The effective date of the TDIU grant is set at October 25, 2010.

The Veteran's son is not considered permanently incapable of self-support prior to the age of 18, as he was able to work and support himself until his late teens.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral gout warranted a reduction from 40 percent to 20 percent, as there were no incapacitating exacerbations and only occasional episodes of pain.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic ear infections, which are diagnosed as otitis media, were incurred during his military service and have persisted since then. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied a request for an earlier effective date for dependency allowance for the Veteran's spouse, J.S., finding that the claim was not complete until after September 11, 2011.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address whether the Veteran's arthritis of the legs is related to service, particularly his frostbite residuals and Raynaud’s phenomenon.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding a connection between the Veteran's current compression spine injury and his service, including an in-service jump injury. A VA examination is required.

The Veteran's daughter is granted reimbursement of $2,050 for expenses related to her father's last sickness due to his colon cancer.

The Veteran died of natural causes and there is no evidence linking his death to any service-connected disability. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection due to new medical evidence showing an in-service event and a nexus. The Veteran is now granted service connection for equinous and hammertoes with degenerative joint disease (claimed as bilateral foot injury).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Raynaud's syndrome, cold injury residuals affecting the feet, and cold injury residuals affecting the hands are being remanded due to a request for a DRO hearing.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the Veteran's claim for TDIU can be decided, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and VA medical examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin conditions are not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents or sun exposure in Vietnam. The preponderance of evidence does not support a nexus between the Veteran’s skin conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to clarify the nature and etiology of the Veteran's neurological disorders, including Bell's palsy. The claims for service connection for a right buttock scar, keratosis of the lower abdomen, and cluster headaches; initial rating for major depression with generalized anxiety disorder; effective date for major depression with generalized anxiety disorder; and recognition of E.B. as a helpless child based on permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining 18 years of age are being remanded.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claim for service connection for chronic myelogenous leukemia, including as due to exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the claim for a left foot disorder due to insufficient evidence and need for an addendum opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected hemochromatosis is remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and clarification of the severity of his condition.

The Veteran's eligibility for MGIB-SR education benefits was terminated effective May 31, 2002. As such, the Veteran is not eligible for these benefits after that date.