Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's service connection claims for malaria, myalgia, peripheral nerve disease of the upper and lower extremities, and anemia are all denied. The Board has remanded these issues due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, as it was not readjudicated after additional development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the Veteran not receiving a requested VA examination for his left arm burn scars. The AOJ needs to determine the Veteran's current address and send him a copy of the March 2019 Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Veteran's residuals of a cut tendon of the right index finger were rated at 10 percent, and the Board found that this rating was appropriate given the evidence showing painful motion.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right eye conjunctivitis and a compensable rating for right eye pterygium due to outstanding treatment records that have not yet been associated with the claims file. The Veteran's representative withdrew his request for a new hearing, and the case is now before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has denied service connection for right ear and left ear Valsalva disabilities, as well as ITP. The claims of entitlement to service connection for residuals of venous thromboembolism, stroke, and global aphasia are remanded due to the submission of additional evidence.

The Veteran's breast mastitis, fibrocystic breast disease and breast calcifications were first presented during service and are linked to service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations regarding his claims of back pain, cramps of the hands, legs, and feet, urinary leakage, and internal injuries. The Board finds that these issues are not related to service connection.

The Board has dismissed the appeal regarding a compensable rating for varicocele. The issue of a compensable rating for right hand arthritis of the long finger is remanded.

The Veteran's hammer toe deformities of the right and left feet, as well as his SP right hand fourth digit fracture, are now rated at 10 percent each. The Veteran does not have service connection for these conditions.

The Board has found that the VA compensation benefits withheld from July to September 2014 had not been fully accounted for and remanded for further development. The Veteran is entitled to a retroactive CRDP compensation payment of $3,870.20 for the period from April 2013 to August 2014.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's acquired mental health disability may be related to his service-connected hearing loss and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but needs further examination to determine if it is proximately due or aggravated by these conditions.

The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma, which caused his death in December 2015, was not service-connected and the Board found no evidence to support presumptive service connection based on exposure to burn pits or hazardous materials. The claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for gastrointestinal disabilities, including diverticulitis and colonic polyps, as they are not related to an in-service abortion procedure or medications for PTSD.

The Board has granted an effective date of October 25, 2015 for the award of increased DIC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person. The decision is binding only with respect to this specific matter.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of recent medical examination and the Veteran's reported worsening symptoms.

The Board denied the claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse due to a lack of valid common-law marriage between the Appellant and the Veteran prior to the Veteran's death in October 2008.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for MDS and cause of death due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the Veteran's exposure to chemicals during service. The case is sent back for an expert opinion on the amount of benzene exposure levels based on his MOS.

The Board denied the reinstatement of disability and indemnity compensation (DIC) benefits for the period from January 1977 to December 1994 due to the appellant not notifying VA of her change in marital status or filing a claim during that period.