Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury, but further development is needed to determine the current severity and manifestations of the Veteran's mood disorder.

The Board found the overpayment of Chapter 35 DEA benefits in the amount of $1,259.30 is valid and denied the benefit sought on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the appellant.

The Board denied the appellant's claim that his character of discharge was a bar to VA benefits, finding no new and material evidence since the last denial.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete STRs regarding mental health treatment, which may affect the character of discharge and its impact on VA benefits eligibility.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the right upper extremity have been granted increased ratings, with a combined evaluation for muscle groups V and VI since January 11, 2018, at 50 percent. The rating for median nerve injury remains at 30 percent.

The Board denied service connection for a right occipital brain tumor (glioblastoma or astrocytoma) as it was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, including due to herbicide exposure. The evidence did not support the claim that glioblastoma is a soft-tissue sarcoma warranting presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's representative withdrew his appeal regarding the claim for service connection for residuals of a chipped bone in the right foot.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is remanded due to discrepancies in his employment status and wage earnings. Additional evidence, including wage details from 2013 to the present, is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral Achilles tendonitis, and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's service did not meet the wartime service requirement for nonservice-connected survivors pension benefits, so the claim is denied.

The Veteran's cause of death, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, was not incurred in service and is not otherwise etiologically related to active service. The Board found no actual duty or visitation in the Republic of Vietnam that would support a finding of Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left tibia fracture is granted. The rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and right hip strain is increased to 20 percent effective May 8, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran not having responded to a request for clarification and his representative not submitting an appellate brief. The Veteran wishes to continue pursuing his appeal of the initial rating for advanced keratoconus.

The Veteran's death was caused by large B-cell lymphoma and graft versus host disease, which are not service-connected. The Board found no evidence of herbicide agent exposure during service.

The Board has granted the appellants' request to establish a commencing date of November 1, 1998 for receipt of Chapter 35 Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. The appeal is allowed in part.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The Board dismissed the case as a result.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the cause of the Veteran's death and whether his service-connected disabilities contributed to it. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for infertility as there is no current diagnosis of infertility or a disability manifesting as infertility at any point during the pendency of the claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for a right leg disability, respiratory disability, and hematologic disability due to insufficient VCAA notice.