Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information in a previous VA examiner's opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's atrial fibrillation. The case will be returned for further examination and an addendum opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records, specifically a notice of disagreement and related documents. The case will be returned for proper efforts to rebuild the electronic claims file.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that January 5, 2009 is the earliest claim received and thus the appropriate effective date.

The Veteran's right lower extremity DVT and varicose veins disability is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board denied an increased rating as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating. Effective from August 27, 2011, the Veteran was granted TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities precluding him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board previously remanded the case due to unclear dates and regulations. The appeal is being remanded again as the AOJ did not consider both versions of the pertinent regulation and did not explicitly identify the ending date of the extended evaluation.

The Veteran's father is granted accrued benefits in the amount of $993.28, as this is the only unreimbursed portion of burial expenses incurred by him on behalf of his deceased son.

The Veteran's left ear pain, which first manifested during service in Southwest Asia, is considered a chronic undiagnosed illness and meets the criteria for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.

The Board found that the veteran's TDIU benefits were properly terminated due to fraud, and denied the appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's breast cancer may be due to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during service, and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for venereal disease and its associated urethral stricture, finding that the Veteran's current disability is due to his non-service-connected prostate cancer.

The Board has granted nonservice-connected death pension benefits for the period of February 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012 in the annual amount of $1,515.60 and denied all other periods.

The Board has ordered a new examination to review the Veteran's service treatment records and determine if his current skin disability is related to his active duty.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of non-VA medical expenses at the Anderson Regional Medical Center is denied because he was not enrolled in VA healthcare within 24 months before seeking treatment, and his delay in seeking care did not meet the standard that a prudent layperson would have reasonably expected immediate medical attention to be hazardous.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to January 24, 2013 for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied. The earliest possible effective date for the award of TDIU is January 24, 2013.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for each of the Veteran's bilateral lower leg shin splint disabilities with chronic exertional compartment syndrome, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's respiratory disorder and passing out symptoms, as they may be related to his service or secondary to his 38 U.S.C. § 1151 award for residuals of left lobe pneumothorax with dyspnea on exertion.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or due to active service or any service-connected disabilities, including herbicide exposure. The Board found no causal relationship between the Veteran’s ruptured abdominal aneurysm and his military service.

The Veteran's oral cavity cancer and its residuals are being remanded for a VA examination to determine if they are related to his service, specifically his presumed exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's service-connected costochondritis is being remanded for a new examination to determine the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's appeal regarding an initial compensable evaluation for his service-connected left inguinal hernia is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.