Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service in Vietnam and exposure to herbicides caused his AML and MDS, which contributed substantially or materially to his death. The appeal is granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypopharyngeal cancer and cause of death due to lack of evidence on direct causation. The appellant believes the Veteran's hypopharyngeal cancer is related to herbicide exposure, but a VA oncologist must provide an opinion on whether it is a form of respiratory or laryngeal cancer (presumptive) and if it is related to service.

The Veteran's dental implants are not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes, and the claim is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals, perforated right eardrum is granted as his current ear disabilities are related to his military service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional development and referral to the Director of Compensation Service.

The Board is requesting additional information from the service department to determine why the Veteran was discharged in July 2013, and thus remanding the case for further development.

The claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is denied because the appellant does not meet the legal requirements to be recognized as the Veteran's child, despite being his son.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim for accrued benefits was timely filed, and therefore grants this portion of her appeal. The underlying merits of the claim will be considered by the AOJ.

The Veteran's discharge from the Air National Guard was due to substandard performance, not a service-connected disability or willful misconduct. The Board granted the appellant's request for transfer of education assistance benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill program.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for lung disease has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has revised the September 26, 2006 decision to grant service connection for spondylosis (arthritis) of the cervical spine based on continuous post-service symptoms and diagnoses.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the claimant died during the pendency of the appeal and has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Veteran's skin disability is not rated higher than 10 percent prior to June 16, 2016 and denied for a rating in excess of 10 percent from that date.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for congestive heart failure due to insufficient evidence and a need for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pleural mesothelioma, which was listed as the immediate cause of death on his certificate, is related to his in-service asbestos exposure and grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.

The Board has ordered a remand to conduct an addendum audit of the Veteran's account regarding his VA educational assistance benefits under both Chapter 30 and Chapter 33, to determine how the usage of the benefits was calculated and whether the calculations were accurate.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for Guillain-Barre Syndrome as they require additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to its inextricably intertwined nature with the other issues.

The appellant is not eligible for DIC, accrued, or pension benefits due to being over the age of 23 and married.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's dumping syndrome with hypoglycemia is proximately due to his service-connected peptic ulcer, status-post vagotomy and antrectomy, with GERD. Therefore, the claim for service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Veteran's duodenal ulcer is being remanded for further examination and evaluation to determine its current severity.