Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board has ordered remand for the left little finger rating issue due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives. The back disability rating issue is also being remanded as it involves new and material evidence received within one year of a prior RO decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to an earlier effective date for service connection of bone spurs in both feet, including a potential finding of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a previous rating decision.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical records and a need for an additional opinion regarding whether the Veteran's neurological disorder is related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for a higher level of payment of Chapter 33 educational assistance benefits is denied as the law does not allow for such, given his service after September 10, 2001.

The Veteran's service is not considered to be during a period of war, thus he does not meet the eligibility requirements for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for accrued benefits and reimbursement of final expenses, stating that she and her siblings are not eligible as they were adult children at the time of their father's death.

The appeal is dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no service connection issues are addressed.

The Veteran's current polymyositis is being remanded for further examination and review due to inadequate previous VA examination, lack of exposure records from National Jewish Health, and the need to address his claim based on in-service chemical exposure.

The Veteran's left foot great toe metatarsophalangeal joint arthritis is granted a 20 percent rating, effective August 1, 2012. The Veteran's bilateral costochondritis of the 5th and 6th ribs is also granted an initial 10 percent rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for Crohn's disease, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis had its initial onset during his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran was owed $98,812.72 for MRP, CRDP and VA disability benefits from April 1, 2006 to February 28, 2009 but only received $93,494.63. The decision grants back pay in the amount of $5,318.09.

The Veteran's prostatitis is rated at 40 percent from July 1, 2016. Prior to that date, the condition was rated at 20 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to a Strongyloides infection acquired during active service. The expert opinion provided by an infectious diseases specialist is considered more persuasive than the VA staff physician's opinion, which found no evidence linking the infection to active service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's peptic ulcer disease. The TDIU claim is also deferred due to its connection with the increased rating claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed dental disorder, including missing teeth. The case will be returned for further development and an examination to determine if the Veteran's current dental disability is related to in-service trauma.

The Veteran's initial claim of an increased rating for her service-connected gastritis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating as there were no signs of severe symptoms such as eroded or ulcerated areas, which are necessary for a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease and spondylosis with facet arthropathy of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, effective November 15, 2010. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating as there was no functional loss to flexion to 30 degrees or less.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cutaneous leishmaniasis is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and authorization for release of private medical records.

The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the upper lip is being remanded for further examination to determine its etiology and service connection.