Other conditions decisions — 2018

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities were rated at 90% from January 23, 2002. The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of special monthly compensation based on loss of use of the right lower extremity and DEA benefits.

The Board has determined that the reduction from 30 percent to 10 percent for patella femoral syndrome of the left knee was improper and has restored the Veteran's original rating. The case is now remanded for further consideration.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the appellant's character of discharge from service is a bar to VA benefits. The need for an opinion on insanity at the time of discharge has been identified.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diverticulitis and gastrointestinal disorders other than her service-connected sliding hernia is reopened, but the reduction in her migraine headaches rating remains void ab initio. The Board also ordered a remand to determine if these conditions are related to military service or secondary to her service-connected sliding hernia.

The Veteran's left femoral nerve palsy is being remanded for additional development to determine if the VA medical treatment caused his disability, including obtaining a signed informed consent form from August 2009 prostatectomy.

The Board has granted service connection for memory loss (claimed as dementia) and remanded the issue of bilateral hip disorder.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the appellant requested to withdraw their appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for carcinoma of the larynx was denied due to lack of evidence linking his current condition to his military service. The Board also found that there is no radiation exposure linked to his cancer, thus denying service connection on both presumptive and direct basis.

The Board denied service connection for substance abuse as it was not incurred in line of duty due to the Veteran's own willful misconduct involving alcohol and drug use.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current blood disability, including anemia, and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for left leg RSD (anterior crural nerve) and left leg RSD (posterior tibial nerve) have been dismissed. The Veteran is also granted TDIU from January 30, 2009 to October 3, 2012.

The Board denied the reopening of a claim regarding the appellant's character of discharge, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted since the last final decision in September 2006.

The Veteran's VA compensation benefits were terminated due to being a fugitive felon, but the Board found that he was not one based on his testimony and thus restored his benefits.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the cause of death, specifically addressing all service-connected disabilities and medications used to treat them.

The Veteran's adult son and sister are not considered 'children' for the purposes of accrued benefits, and thus do not qualify to receive reimbursement for expenses related to his last sickness or burial.

The Veteran's cause of death, colon cancer, was not shown to be related to service or herbicide exposure. The Board denied the claim as there is no evidence that the Veteran's colon cancer was caused by his military service.

The appeal was dismissed because the appellant requested to withdraw his appeal through his authorized representative.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right hand injury and residuals of a head injury due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran will need to undergo new VA examinations to determine if his current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for lupus and service connection for anemia secondary to dysphagia. The Veteran's claims are pending further development.