Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's increased rating claim for left TMJ disorder due to insufficient examination findings and a need for additional medical opinions. The claim will be further delayed as it requires a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for further requests from appropriate agencies.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication of the issues related to the Veteran's service-connected left femur fracture, including whether the 2013 fractures are part and parcel or secondary to his pre-existing disability. The eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's current disabilities and whether they are related to his VA surgery in March 2006.

The Veteran's unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent rating for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical treatment provided at Kootenai Medical Center on April 26, 2015 is denied because the condition was not a medical emergency and VA facilities were feasibly available.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private hospital from August 17, 2015 to August 26, 2015 was denied because he did not receive VA treatment within the 24 months prior to the emergency treatment and because VA facilities were feasibly available.

The Veteran's claim for ambulance transportation reimbursement was denied due to his reported income exceeding the maximum annual rate of pension. The case is being remanded to obtain necessary financial documentation.

The Board denied reopening the claim of service connection for defective vision, left eye with macular chorioretinitis, left exotropia and amblyopia due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right eye chorioretinitis was remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a right thumb disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the current condition and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for a waiver of an overpayment of $4,115.82 due to failure to withhold attorney fees from past-due benefits. The decision found that VA bore greater fault in creating the debt and that recovery would not cause undue hardship or defeat the purpose of compensation benefits.

The Veteran's cause of death was a pulmonary embolus and morbid obesity. The Board found no service connection for any disabilities, and the medical evidence did not support that his diabetes mellitus caused or contributed to his death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm and his service.

The Board has granted service connection for paresthesia of the right thigh and denied service connection for numbness of the toes. The paresthesia is related to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.

The Board is unable to determine the current nature and severity of the service connected L2 compression fracture residuals due to conflicting findings. The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is also remanded as further evaluation is needed.

The Veteran's cause of death is granted due to service connection for acute lymphoid leukemia, which was presumed based on exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board also found that the Veteran met the threshold duration of service required under 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(7)(iii).

The Board denied service connection for a right hand disability, including Dupuytren's contracture, permanent partial flexion of the right little finger, Boutonnière deformity of the small finger (central slip injury), and right hand arthritis. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an opinion regarding the Veteran's skin disorder, including whether it is related to herbicide exposure. The initial rating issue for coronary artery disease remains on hold until VA obtains relevant medical records.

The Board has denied an earlier effective date for service connection of the specified trauma and stressor related disorder, but has remanded the issue of a higher initial rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death.