Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, as it was caused by alcohol abuse rather than any service-connected condition.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip tendinitis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to an in-service fall during Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA). The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at Shands Hospital and UFHealth Clinics on April 20, 2015 due to lack of prior authorization.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for his total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected psoriatic arthritis. The Board has remanded the matter for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected supraventricular arrhythmia is manifested with more than four episodes per year, and the Board has granted an initial compensable disability rating of 30 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including a VA medical opinion on whether the Veteran's causes of death are related to service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The claim is also granted to reopen due to new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his post-thyroidectomy condition is remanded due to the lack of VA treatment records and a need for a new examination.

The Board has granted an effective date of November 18, 2005 for the grant of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected Panic Disorder with agoraphobia.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bulge/protrusion at L3-4 and L4-5 with herniated disc was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show ankylosis of the spine, which is required for a rating in excess of 40 percent. The Veteran's current 40 percent rating has been granted.

The Veteran's skin disorder, diagnosed as cysts and inflammatory lesions, is granted service connection. The claims for defective stereopsis, bilateral eustachian tube dysfunction, and nodules of bilateral inner thighs are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection for temporomandibular joint disease (TMJ) due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relation to in-service tooth extraction. The Veteran's TMJ is related to her military service, but further examination and documentation are needed.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU are remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and potentially outstanding SSA records.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for tongue cancer due to new and material evidence. However, the claim was denied as there is no probative evidence linking the tongue cancer to his time at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied an earlier effective date than May 31, 2018 for the award of survivor’s benefits for aid and attendance due to the VA receiving the original claim on that date.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for clarification on whether a separate rating is warranted for each leg of the Veteran's bilateral shin splints and fascia herniation, as well as the need for additional development regarding the severity and functional impact of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left hip disorders due to a lack of compliance with previous remand orders regarding scheduling an examination. The issues include determining if any pre-existing hip conditions existed prior to service, whether they were aggravated during service, and if they are related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's child is not eligible for more than 45 months of education benefits under Chapter 35 (DEA) because the appellant did not submit an application or certification for a program that began prior to August 1, 2018.

The Veteran's claim for retroactive payment of education benefits for courses taken at Florida International University from August 24, 2009 through December 10, 2011 is denied because he filed his claim more than one year after completing the program.

The Board denied the veteran's surviving spouse status due to a lack of continuous cohabitation from the date of marriage in July 1969 until his death in September 2002. The separation was not considered temporary, mutual consent or desertion.

The Veteran's death was not service connected, and therefore he did not meet the criteria for nonservice-connected burial benefits.