Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's myasthenia gravis is related to his active service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the appellant may be recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse for the purpose of DIC benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1318, and the claim is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disease of the right AC joint is related to his service-connected shrapnel injuries, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an umbilical hernia and determined that new evidence submitted since the last denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The Board also found that the preexisting umbilical hernia did not worsen during active duty.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for muscle injury, status-post lipoma removal, muscle group XIV was denied as the evidence did not show findings reflective of a severe muscle disability affecting his right lower extremity during the appeal period.

The Board found no evidence of a current cardiovascular disability related to the Veteran's service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a lung disability, diagnosed as chronic fibrotic interstitial lung disease with autoimmune disorder. The VA examiner concluded that it is not at least as likely as not that the Veteran's condition was causally related to his exposure to water at Camp Lejeune. An addendum opinion is needed to address direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left hip degeneration (other than left hip strain) was not incurred in service, is not otherwise related to service, and was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected left ankle strain.

The Board denied the Veteran's motion to revise or reverse a June 15, 2016 decision denying an initial compensable disability rating for alopecia due to incorrect application of the applicable rating criteria and failure to consider all pertinent evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for neurological disability of the 5th cranial nerve with right and left facial sensory loss were denied as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for higher evaluations under the applicable rating schedule.

The Board found that the Appellant did not have verifiable service to establish veteran status, and therefore denied his claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a neurologic disorder of the left lower extremity, as well as his claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and chronic tension headaches prior to January 10, 2013. The evidence did not support the presence of a current disability or establish a link between any diagnosed conditions and service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a diagnosis for PTSD, depression, or schizophrenia. The claim was denied as there is no evidence of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hip disorder is caused or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for carcinoma of the small intestine with metastasis to the liver, as there was no evidence that his condition was related to active duty or exposure to ionizing radiation. The other issues were not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board finds that the disability does not warrant a higher rating due to its mild or transient symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed immunity disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's gastroenteritis does not warrant a compensable rating as there is no evidence of frequent episodes of bowel disturbance with abdominal stress associated with the service-connected condition.