Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to incomplete medical opinions regarding the etiology of his bilateral lower extremity conditions, including deep vein thrombosis. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a bilateral eye disability due to lack of evidence of current disability. The issues of rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain and TDIU are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to unclear marital status and lack of recent financial information. The appellant and the Veteran need to provide updated documents regarding their divorce and current financial situations.

The Veteran's death was caused by end stage liver disease and dementia, which were found to be directly related to his service-connected PTSD. The Board determined that the alcoholism that contributed to these conditions was a result of his PTSD.

The Veteran filed a claim for increased compensation on July 31, 2013. The VA granted special monthly compensation based on the need of regular aid and attendance effective September 16, 2013. However, the Veteran's spouse is seeking an earlier effective date for service connection prior to June 27, 2007.

The veteran's service at the Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS) and United States Naval Academy (USNA) is not considered qualifying active duty for educational benefits purposes, leading to a denial of his claim.

The Veteran's cause of death, glioblastoma, was found to be caused by his in-service exposure to herbicide agents. As a result, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a right eye cataract, including pseudophakia, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current right eye condition is related to his in-service injury.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable ratings for peripheral arterial disease of the left and right lower extremities are being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding trophic changes, persistent coldness, and ankle/brachial index.

The Veteran's service-connected duodenal ulcer is currently rated at 20 percent and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7305.

The Board has determined that a new medical opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran's encephalopathy was caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or fault. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's leg length discrepancy is currently rated as noncompensable, and the appeal for service connection of a respiratory disorder (Gulf War claim) and increased rating for left knee condition are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating prior to July 12, 2017 was denied because he did not provide the necessary information and forms required by VA.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for residuals of mastoiditis due to a lack of additional development and examination.

The Veteran's right mandibular fracture residuals were rated at 10 percent from March 30, 2017. The Board found that the disability did not meet or approximate criteria for a compensable rating before this date.

The Board has reopened the claim and granted recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for DIC benefits, based on new evidence indicating that the divorce decree may not have been valid.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for urticaria and has remanded the issue of service connection for insomnia, to include as secondary to service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is in remission and he has not undergone treatment since October 2010. The VA examiner determined that the Veteran does not have compensable residuals from lymphoma or treatment for lymphoma, leading to a non-compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses is denied because the treatment was not provided in a medical emergency and VA facilities were feasibly available.