Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board found that the Veteran's additional left foot disabilities, including Charcot foot with Lisfranc fracture, were not caused by or aggravated by the May 24, 2006 exercise stress test administered at VA. The Board concluded that there was no evidence to support a finding of causation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a need for clarification of the Veteran's bladder impairment and its relationship to her lumbar spine disability.

The Board found no evidence of a right leg disability during service and determined that the current condition is not related to service.

The Veteran's right hip soft tissue impingement is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's retained metallic fragment at L4 with a pinched nerve did not exist prior to service and was not aggravated during service. Therefore, he is not entitled to service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's vocal cord disorder, diagnosed as a vocal cord cyst, is service-connected. The sinus disorder claim remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for eustachian tube dysfunction, which is a presumed condition related to military service. The Veteran's current diagnosis of eustachian tube dysfunction is found to be related to his in-service history.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by VA hospital care, medical or surgical treatment, or examination. The proximate cause of his death was due to an event (pulling out tracheostomy tube) that was reasonably foreseeable and not a result of VA fault.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal for entitlement to a TDIU prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's hip conditions, including residuals of left slipped femoral epiphysis and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, are considered to have been incurred during his active service.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of excision of basal cell carcinoma have increased in severity since the last examination. The VA needs to schedule a new examination and obtain relevant medical records.

The Veteran's death from cardiac arrest as a result of hemorrhagic shock was not reasonably foreseeable, and therefore DIC benefits are granted under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Board denied service connection for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) with bladder outlet obstruction, finding that the Veteran's current condition was not related to his military service and specifically noting that BPH is not a presumptive condition due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for special monthly pension to include aid and attendance and housebound benefits was dismissed as the grant of aid and attendance benefits moots the need for housebound status.

The Veteran's peripheral arterial vascular disease of the left and right lower extremities is granted as secondary to his service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a left ear condition is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his current symptoms and their relation to service. The case will be returned to VA for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a throat disorder is granted. The evidence shows that he had symptoms during his periods of active duty, and the VA examiner found no known clinical diagnosis but did find objective indications of a chronic disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right femur fracture, including right foot drop, right quadriceps muscle fibrosis and weakness, and fusion of the right knee. The temporary total rating under 38 C.F.R. § 4.29 is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating and earlier effective date for his service-connected loss of use due to gouty arthritis in the left hand have been denied.

The Board has decided that the appellant is not entitled to accrued benefits in excess of $487.00, but she may be eligible for reimbursement for expenses related to her mother's last sickness and burial.