Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that a new medical opinion is needed to address the Veteran's service-connected right-hand disability and its potential contribution to his cause of death, as the previous opinions did not adequately consider the Veteran's August 1951 lay statement regarding an ulcerated stomach.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hand disability and found that the Veteran's left and right shin splints do not warrant compensable evaluations. The case is remanded due to issues with his shin splints.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's death from gastric adenocarcinoma was related to his service, specifically exposure to Agent Orange during his time in Vietnam. The appellant is seeking service connection for the cause of her husband’s death.

The Veteran's death is less likely than not related to his active duty service, specifically exposure to jet fuel. Service connection for the cause of death was denied.

The Veteran's right-hand injury is rated at 10 percent since April 4, 2012. The gap between the thumb pad and fingers was found to be more than 2 inches (5.1 cm), which meets the criteria for a 10 percent rating under DC 5228.

The Board has decided that the VA needs to gather more information about the appellant's marital status with the Veteran. They need to check if the Veteran had any treatment at a VA facility, request her Social Security Administration records, and contact the county clerk and coroner’s office for relevant information.

The Board has denied service connection for gout, arthritis, and asteroid hyalitis (vision loss) as these conditions did not have their onset in service or within a year of service separation.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as an addendum medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cholelithiasis with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

The Board has remanded the cases for further action due to their interdependence and because adjudication of one case impacts the other.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the appellant did not meet the criteria for nonservice-connected death pension benefits.

The Board denied service connection for residuals, polio, finding no probative evidence of an in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury to which any current residuals, polio, may be attributed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, finding that he does not have a current diagnosis of a separate and distinct sleep disability from his already service-connected psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's application for TDIU was denied because they do not have any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin condition was previously denied, but new and material evidence has been received. The Board is remanding the case to obtain an opinion on whether his skin conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Board denied a request for an effective date prior to August 13, 2018, for the grant of special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance. The Veteran's original claim was received by VA on that date.

The Veteran's daughter, the Appellant, is not entitled to accrued benefits in excess of $5,963.00 for funeral and burial expenses as she did not provide receipts for additional expenses incurred.

The Veteran's surviving child is not entitled to death pension benefits because her income exceeds the maximum annual pension rate for a surviving child.

The Veteran's neurocardiogenic syncope has not been manifested by at least one major seizure in the last six months or two minor seizures in the last year, so a rating higher than 20 percent is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for his right testicle disability and SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ. The right testicle is larger than the left, but not to the extent that it would qualify as loss of use of a creative organ.