Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for delusional disorder (grandiose type), transient situational disturbance, and psychoneurotic reaction is granted. An effective date of September 4, 1968 is assigned for the award of service connection for acquired psychiatric disability later diagnosed as PTSD.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied because there is no evidence that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him in the one-year period prior to his November 2011 claim.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service, specifically whether they were caused by herbicide exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's tuberous sclerosis, including whether it is related to his service-connected psychiatric disorder or environmental exposures in Southwest Asia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings and whether a reduction in his rating was proper due to insufficient evidence from recent VA examinations. The Veteran needs to provide any outstanding VA treatment records, including those from Dr. H., and undergo an appropriate VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right eye disability is related to his active military service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's cause of death is due to metastatic adenocarcinoma, which was not incurred during his active duty service and did not result from an injury or event that occurred during his active duty service.

The Veteran's initial claim for a disability rating of 10 percent for prostatitis prior to July 7, 2014 was granted. From July 7, 2014, to October 26, 2016, the Veteran is entitled to a 20 percent disability rating.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claim for service connection for loss of teeth, resulting in the dismissal of this case.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for gout and remanded it for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran currently has gout and whether there is a medical relationship between his current condition and service.

The Board is remanding the case due to incomplete records and procedural issues, particularly regarding a psychological evaluation of the Veteran from Dr. Schroeder in 1993.

The Board denied service connection for a right forearm disability and pneumonia, finding no current disabilities during the appeal period. The Veteran's claims were also denied for increased evaluations of his left shoulder and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Board is unable to determine the nature and amount of reimbursement claimed due to missing documents. The Veteran's claim for payment of private medical expenses incurred at Metropolitan Hospital on February 19, 2013 is remanded for further development.

The Board has granted an initial 40 percent rating for right eye vision loss from July 19, 2004. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected ringworm affected less than 5 percent of his entire body and less than 5 percent of exposed areas, requiring intermittent systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs for a total duration of six weeks or more during any relevant 12-month period. As the condition did not meet these criteria, he was denied a compensable rating.

The Veteran's granddaughter is not considered a dependent child for VA purposes due to the absence of legal adoption, and therefore DEA benefits are denied.

The Veteran's death pension benefits were denied because the appellant did not meet all requirements to be recognized as his surviving spouse, despite their long marriage and children.

The Veteran's service connection claim for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The Veteran's hearing loss claim remains pending as the requested higher rating has not been fully granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for a waiver of recovery of overpayment of VA education and housing benefits, finding that it would not be against equity and good conscience to require repayment due to fault on the part of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's May 28, 2014 medical expenses at St. Francis Hospital were for a condition of such nature that a prudent layperson would have reasonably expected delay in obtaining treatment to be hazardous to health and an attempt to use the nearest VA facility beforehand was not reasonable.