Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected status post uvulopalatopharyngoplasty disability is being remanded for a VA examination to assess its current severity.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left lower extremity PVD were denied. The RO assigned a 20% rating for the right lower extremity prior to January 12, 2018, and a 40% rating beginning on that date. A TDIU claim was also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bradycardia, Hodgkin's disease, a mediastinal condition, and thymoma as there was no evidence of these conditions during the appeal period or that they were related to service.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for postoperative residuals of a right lateral thigh bone tumor is remanded due to the need to address whether the January 1982 rating decision denying his claim was clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Board denied reopening the claims for service connection for tonsillitis and diverticulitis as no new and material evidence was submitted.

The Veteran's appeal for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left lower extremity focal dystonia was not withdrawn, and she is entitled to an effective date of January 18, 2007.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and the cause of the Veteran’s death due to insufficient development regarding the Veteran's exposure to benzene in service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for myocardial infarction and peripheral arterial disease due to herbicide exposure as there is evidence of potential diagnoses that need further clarification.

The Veteran's claim for initial ratings for chronic hoarseness and xerostomia (dry mouth) and difficulty swallowing as residuals of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx is granted. The rating assigned for chronic hoarseness is 10 percent, while the rating assigned for xerostomia and difficulty swallowing is also 30 percent.

The Veteran's bladder disorder and bowel disorder associated with his service-connected lumbar degenerative joint disease are granted, but only for the period from February 26, 2010 to February 8, 2011. The Veteran is assigned a 20 percent rating for voiding dysfunction and a 10 percent rating for fecal incontinence.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral hip disability, and bilateral knee disability have been reopened due to the submission of new medical evidence. The claim for oro-pharyngeal allergy associated with allergic rhinitis has resulted in an initial, compensable disability rating.,An initial, compensable disability rating (60%) is granted for perioral dermatitis secondary to oro-pharyngeal allergy associated with allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's entitlement to benefits under 38 U.S.C. §1151 for toenail fungus is denied.,Entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for Barrett's esophagus prior to December 5, 2017 is denied.,An initial rating of 30 percent or higher for Barrett's esophagus from December 5, 2017 is granted.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's Barrett’s esophagus with high grade dysplasia requires a higher initial rating and also raises the issue of TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, necessitating further examination and development.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal due to receiving all VA benefits they were seeking.

The Veteran's application for additional education program payments under the Post-9/11 GI Bill was denied as he was not eligible to transfer his Chapter 30 kicker to his newly established Chapter 33 benefits.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for arthritis of both feet, hallux valgus of both feet, bunions of both feet, and left foot hammertoe due to inconsistencies in prior examination reports. The Veteran's current age-related wear-and-tear is questioned, but his in-service findings are also considered.

The Board denied the appellant's request to waive an overpayment of VA death pension benefits, finding that her waiver request was untimely.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for primary lateral sclerosis was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has found that further development is necessary prior to adjudicating the Veteran's claims for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for gastrointestinal hemorrhagic episodes on an extraschedular basis and entitlement to a total disability based on individual unemployment (TDIU). The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records, scheduling an examination, and referring the matter to the Director of Compensation Pension Service.

The appellant is not eligible for accrued benefits as he did not meet the eligibility criteria and there were no expenses incurred by him to be reimbursed.