Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for cause of death and remanded it due to new evidence submitted by the Appellant. The accrued benefits claim is also remanded as the RO did not address this under both relevant provisions.

The Board denied an apportionment of the Veteran's VA compensation benefits to the appellant on behalf of their children due to the Veteran reasonably discharging his responsibility for supporting them and the appellant not demonstrating financial hardship.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU for the periods from February 2, 2014 to December 22, 2016 due to his service-connected heart disability. He is no longer eligible for this benefit as of June 25, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for recognition of J.L. as his 'helpless child' due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to age 18 is remanded for further development, including obtaining educational and medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to his exposure to herbicide agents during service. The primary cause was CAD, which is presumed due to such exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for numbness and tingling in her legs, as secondary to her service-connected lumbar spine condition and bilateral pes planus. The claims are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a respiratory disorder and sickle cell anemia have been denied. The Board found that the respiratory disorder is not related to service, including due to asbestos exposure. For sickle cell anemia, the Board determined there was clear and unmistakable evidence that it preexisted service.

The Board is remanding the case to determine if the change in the Veteran's means test eligibility category from copay exempt to copay required for income year 2016 was proper. The missing documents, including a Form 1099 from Ameriprise, need to be associated with the claims file before further action can be taken.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for arthritis of the feet and TDIU due to outstanding medical records and potential need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues and requests for updated financial status reports.

The Veteran's nonservice-connected pension benefits were terminated due to failure to provide income information. The Board has ordered a remand for an additional attempt to obtain the required information.

The reduction of the Veteran's disability rating for left clavicle dislocation from 20 percent to noncompensable, effective October 1, 2018, was not proper and the rating is restored.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, including levoscoliosis and degenerative joint disease (DJD), finding that there was no evidence of aggravation beyond normal progression during service and insufficient medical evidence linking current DJD to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasons and bases in its previous decision, specifically regarding the lack of treatment records prior to 2010, the denial of a painful elbow on the 1981 report of medical history, and whether a VA examination was needed. The Veteran is asked to be examined for a right elbow disorder.

The Veteran's cause of death, cardiopulmonary arrest with dysrhythmia-ventricular fibrillation, is not considered service-connected due to lack of evidence linking it to his military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and no service connection is granted for the claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for a dental disability for compensation purposes, finding that the Veteran's loss of teeth due to in-service trauma is related to his active military service and constitutes a dental condition for which compensation benefits are available.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board dismissed it.

The overpayment of VA compensation benefits was validly created, and the appeal is denied. The Veteran's divorce from D.L. in December 2003 affected her eligibility for additional compensation.

The Board dismissed the appeal of whether the overpayment of VA compensation benefits was properly created due to a complete grant of the waiver of the overpayment, which rendered moot any argument with regards to its validity.