Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Veteran died during the appeal process, and therefore the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of his claim for service connection for Crohn's disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding private treatment records from a VA contracted facility. The appellant is asked to sign and return a VA Form 21-4142 for these records.

The Board has determined that the appellant's son, J.D.H., is permanently incapable of self-support due to physical and mental defects prior to his 18th birthday. The appeal for DIC, death pension, and accrued benefits will be remanded for further adjudication.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral eye disability, other than diabetic retinopathy with pseudophakia status post cataract extraction, is rated at a 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 6025 for the functional impairment resulting from dry eye syndrome and a 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 6018 for the functional impairment resulting from blepharitis. The Veteran's corneal arcus does not warrant any additional compensation.

The Board has been ordered to award service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to a Court decision.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse and to reopen her DIC claim, finding that she was not married at the time of his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for adjustment disorder with depressed mood and residuals of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) was granted, effective April 18, 2012. The Veteran is currently rated at 50% for the adjustment disorder.

The Veteran's bilateral foot calluses are currently rated at 50 percent disabling from August 21, 2014. The Board has granted a higher rating of 50 percent on an extraschedular basis for the period after August 21, 2014.

The Board has determined that the evidence submitted by the Veteran does not constitute new and material evidence to reopen his claim of service connection for additional dental disabilities, thus denying the reopening of this claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's cardiovascular disability was not incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right and left leg disabilities have been rated based on the severity of their underlying conditions, with a 30% rating for compartment syndrome status post right fasciotomy with impairment of the common peroneal nerve and a 20% rating for compartment syndrome status post left fasciotomy with impairment of the common peroneal nerve.

The appeal is REMANDED to the AOJ for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining additional medical records. The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left hip disorders are being remanded due to lack of substantial compliance with previous directives.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's abdominal and chest wall pain as residuals of in-service cerebral shunt procedure is service connected, with no dispute regarding this determination.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's lung disabilities and presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Board found the Veteran's right hip disability is not related to his service or a service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including as due to exposure to herbicides and secondary to his service-connected PTSD, has been denied. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of in-service disease or injury leading to current respiratory pathology.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have qualifying service and therefore, does not meet the basic eligibility criteria for establishing entitlement to the one-time payment from the FVEC Fund.

The Veteran's appeal for a separate compensable rating for bilateral pleural plaques has been withdrawn by his representative.

The Veteran is granted eligibility for noncompensable dental disability for the purpose of obtaining VA outpatient dental treatment, but service connection for a dental disability for compensation purposes is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing left leg condition, noted on his entrance examination report, was not aggravated by active service and therefore denied service connection for residuals of a left leg injury.