Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for nerve conditions, including right foot, bilateral legs, and bilateral arms, should be remanded due to insufficient evidence. The VA is required to provide a medical examination to determine if these conditions are related to military service or any other relevant factors.

The Board has granted service connection for multiple myeloma, finding that it is at least as likely as not the result of exposure to Agent Orange during active service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a gynecological disability, including pelvic pain and retroverted uterus. The decision is pending further examination and review.

The Veteran's death was not service connected, and the appellant did not meet the criteria for nonservice-connected burial benefits. The claim is denied.

The claim for service connection for a left hand disability has been reopened due to new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development, including additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's surviving spouse remarried twice after his death, which bars her from receiving VA survivor benefits.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 10 percent and 20 percent for fractured vertebral body at L4-5, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other factors.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a right eye disability and residuals of a right testicle injury as secondary to his left orchitis are remanded due to missing service medical records.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection and a 100% disability rating for a mood disorder is denied. The effective date is fixed at June 13, 2012, which is the date of receipt of his reopened claim.

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

The Veteran's stomach cancer is being remanded for further examination and medical opinion as the current VA examiner's opinion is inadequate.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete development of records and need for a new VA examination. The Veteran's right thumb condition is still under review, as well as the nature and etiology of his long (middle) finger condition.

The Veteran's son, L.R.D., was not shown to be permanently incapable of self-support prior to his 18th birthday due to disabilities. The Board denied recognition as a helpless child.

The Veteran's gout and pulmonary disability are being remanded for further examination to determine their relationship to service, including presumed herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's widow is requesting service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) due to exposure during military service. The Board has decided the case should be remanded as VA needs to verify if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides, specifically Agent White, during his service.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a torn left Achilles tendon because the appellant's service in February 1999 was not qualifying Federal service.

The Board has remanded two issues: the initial evaluation for tarsal tunnel syndrome, post-operative, right lower extremity and the extension of a temporary total rating due to convalescence following surgery. The Veteran's updated treatment records are needed along with an examination to determine the current severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an addendum opinion regarding service connection for residuals of a back injury. The examiner is requested to provide opinions on whether the Veteran's current back disorder is related to his military service, including his documented in-service motor vehicle accident in April 1982.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the neck, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to herbicides. The condition was initially denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service, but new medical records have provided a reasonable possibility of substantiating this claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection, finding that the claims were received on July 15, 2011, which is when the RO granted her original claims. The decision states that an effective date cannot be earlier than the date of claim or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later.