Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeal includes requests for a higher rating and an earlier effective date for his right elbow arthritis. The Board has ordered remand to obtain additional medical evidence and conduct further examination.

The Veteran's ventral hernia with diastasis recti has not been evaluated since the initial grant of service connection in March 2014. The Board finds that a new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity and nature of his disability.

The Veteran's VA compensation benefits were withheld due to concurrent receipt of National Guard drill pay for fiscal years 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. The appeal is denied as the offset was proper.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for accrued benefits as she is not a dependent of the deceased Veteran's spouse and did not pay her last expenses.

The Veteran's request to reopen her previously denied claim for an implant crown was not successful, and the service connection claims for both an implant crown and a buccal abcess were denied.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for AL amyloidosis is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his condition had its onset during service or is otherwise related to his service, including exposure to chemicals and toxins while serving aboard the USS Roanoke.

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

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and missing records, including those from the Office of the Coroner of Montgomery County and Pottstown Memorial Medical Center. The Veteran's cause of death is unclear without these documents.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's L5 fusion/laminectomy and arthritis, claimed as a back condition, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for VEAP benefits is denied as his request falls outside the 10-year delimiting period and he did not meet the requirements for an extension due to a disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's muscle disability began in or is otherwise related to service. An addendum opinion from a VA examiner is needed.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the claims of stress fracture, right second metatarsal bone; dry left eye syndrome; and onychomycosis right great toenail. The appeal for service connection for bilateral foot fallen arches was also withdrawn.

The Veteran's death benefits claim was denied because the appellant could not be recognized as his surviving spouse due to a divorce that occurred in July 2003, and she did not provide evidence to support her claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to environmental hazards during service and its relation to his scleroderma, which is listed as a significant condition leading of his death.

The Veteran's cause of death is granted, with the Board finding that his interstitial lung disease was at least as likely as not related to in-service exposure to asbestos or trichloroethylene (TCE), and contributed to his death from chronic respiratory failure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's post-operative residuals of a thymoma are service-connected, as there is equipoise evidence suggesting it was present during or within one year after his military service.

The Veteran's claim to reopen the previously denied claims for service connection for a tarsal coalition of both feet was received on June 20, 2017. The effective date cannot be earlier than this date as it is more than one year after his separation from active duty.

The Veteran's initial compensable ratings for bilateral hammer toes are denied. He was granted an initial 80% rating for his service-connected gout effective December 29, 2010 to January 8, 2018.,Issues related to the Veteran's hearing loss and various joints affected by his service-connected gout were remanded.

The Veteran's left hip strain with limitation of extension and flexion is granted, but rated as noncompensable.,A separate rating for the left hip strain with limitation of extension is also granted, but rated as noncompensable.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and failure to comply with duty to assist.