Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board has granted the Appellant's claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse for purposes of establishing eligibility for VA death benefits.

The Board found that the Veteran's upper teeth disability was not caused by VA care, and thus denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Board found that the Veteran did not sustain a head injury during service and therefore denied his claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury.

The Veteran's initial ratings for chronic right and left foot strain with metatarsalgia were granted, but the RO determined that a higher rating was not warranted prior to May 29, 2009. From May 29, 2009, the Veteran is entitled to a 20 percent rating for each foot.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral cataracts did not begin in service and are not causally or etiologically related to service. The residuals of a left eye injury, including nerve damage, pressure sensation below the left eye, and surgery for a lesion/scar tissue from the left eyelid, were not caused by or increased in severity beyond the natural progress of the disease by the service-connected sinusitis and deviated septum disabilities.

The Veteran's left great toenail deformity is currently rated as noncompensably disabling, and a 10 percent rating has been assigned since July 27, 2012. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an increased rating for this condition.

The case is being remanded due to non-compliance with previous Board directives. The AOJ needs to clarify the total overpayment amount and determine if the Veteran should be granted a waiver of repayment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board denies his claim for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service connection claim for subarachnoid hemorrhage of the brain, claimed as stroke, and his nonservice-connected pension benefits claim were both denied due to lack of evidence connecting these conditions to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heel spurs were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's thymus cancer is found to be etiologically related to exposure to non-ionizing radiation during active military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for status post corneal abrasion to both eyes. The claims for increased ratings for cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, right thumb strain, allergic rhinitis, and facial dermatitis are dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding these issues prior to a decision.

The Veteran's appeal for nonservice-connected special monthly pension benefits prior to February 24, 2017 has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left eye disability was not incurred or aggravated by service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's myofascial neck syndrome was rated at 10 percent prior to June 16, 2015. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to failure to provide proper notice and scheduling of VA examinations. The case is now pending for further development.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to astrocytoma of the brain. The evidence did not support a finding that this condition was related to military service or any other compensable exposure.

For the rating period prior to January 24, 2014, the Veteran's mood disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, family relations, judgment, thinking, and mood.,For the entire rating period on appeal, the Veteran's PTSD did not result in total social impairment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's fecal incontinence due to anal sphincter impairment associated with Crohn's disease warrants a 100% rating, as it more nearly approximates complete loss of sphincter control.