Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is related to his active service.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred during his non-VA hospitalization at Cleveland Clinic from July 30, 2016 to August 17, 2016 are granted as the treatment was deemed emergency and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left leg disability, finding that it was not incurred in or related to service and is not caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating of his left hip disability was denied. The current rating is 30 percent, which corresponds to malunion of the femur with marked knee or hip disability.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at NCH Healthcare System on February 14, 2018 were denied as the treatment was not for a condition of such severity that delay in seeking immediate medical attention would have been hazardous to life or health. The Board found no other eligibility criteria met under 38 U.S.C. § 1725.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of evidence, including a need for additional periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and VA examinations. The Veteran's left hip disability is being reviewed again.

The Board has granted service connection for right elbow tendinitis with lateral and medial epicondylitis, claimed as right elbow strain with epicondylitis, finding that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the condition was incurred during service.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral upper extremity disability manifested by loss of fine motor skills, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's left upper extremity nerve entrapment is granted service connection based on a presumption of service connection due to in-service injury or disease. The right upper extremity nerve entrapment claim is denied as there is no current disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right-side abdominal hernia and a rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected lumbar spondylosis are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for neurological impairment of the hip and thigh, finding that there is no evidence showing a direct relationship between his service-connected lumbar spine disorder and his current hip condition.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a neck disorder is reopened, and the appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran's claimed conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and outstanding VA records. The Veteran's claim for service connection of his bilateral foot disability is being reviewed again with a new examination.

The Veteran's esophageal cancer was not diagnosed during service or within one year of separation, and the evidence does not support a finding that it is related to his military service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's service did not include duty in or visitation to Vietnam, and he is thus not presumed to have been exposed to herbicides. His bilateral pulmonary emboli were not present in service or for years thereafter, and are not etiologically related to service.,The Veteran does not have a current respiratory disability other than bilateral pulmonary emboli, and there is no evidence linking his current respiratory condition to service.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no jurisdiction remains for further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and instructed the RO to obtain informed consent records for ECT treatment. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these records are obtained.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for numbness and burning in both hands, as well as for numbness and tingling and numbness in both feet, to include as secondary to diabetes mellitus due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's symptoms need to be evaluated further by a VA examiner.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to an additional left eye disability resulting from January 20, 2016 VA surgery because there was no evidence of carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance on the part of VA.