Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to his hip, leg, and foot disabilities including arthritis, Paget’s disease or cold injuries. The VA is required to provide additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's eye disabilities, specifically pseudophakia, bilateral cataracts, right corneal transplant, bilateral Drusen of the optic disc, bilateral Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy, and right eye maculopathy. The remand requires additional VA medical opinions to address these issues.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of dependency and indemnity compensation benefits as a helpless child due to lack of legal basis, as the appellant did not become helpless prior to age 18.

The previously denied claim for service connection for basal and squamous cell carcinoma is reopened and granted.,Entitlement to a temporary total rating based upon the need for medical treatment and/or convalescence for basal and squamous cell carcinoma is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service and the cause of his death.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neurological disorder due to new and material evidence. The claims of service connection for peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities (claimed as aortoiliofemoral disease) and for a neurological disorder are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at USA Knollwood Hospital from September 21, 2005 to October 21, 2005 is being remanded due to the need for additional development and compliance with prior Board directives.

The Veteran's undescended right testicle has manifested by intermittent bouts of dull inguinal pain, but not by erectile dysfunction. The Board denied an initial compensable evaluation for the condition.

The Veteran's bile duct cancer is granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicides and river fluke during active military service.,The cause of the Veteran's death, which included his service-connected bile duct cancer, is also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for retroactive payment in excess of $16,690 due to incorrect calculations by the RO. The Veteran was owed $12,510 from September 2015 to November 2016 and $4,180 from December 2016 to April 2017.

The Board has decided that the decedent's service status in the United States Coast Guard needs to be verified, and the case is being sent back for further action.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and basic eligibility to Dependent's Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits, finding that his death was caused by his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

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 Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma due to a lack of medical evidence addressing whether it is related to service or a service-connected disability. The Veteran should be provided with an examination to determine the etiology of his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to uncertainty regarding the cause of the Veteran's Graves' disease, which may be related to exposure at Camp Lejeune. The case is sent back for further investigation and a medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for ALS was denied as there is no evidence that he filed a formal or informal claim prior to October 28, 2015. The earliest date of entitlement is October 19, 2015.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder disability was found to not warrant a rating in excess of 70 percent, as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 100 percent rating.

The Board found that the overpayment of compensation benefits for a dependent spouse and child from August 1, 2007 to October 31, 2010 was not properly created due to VA's failure to notify the Veteran about his divorce. The appeal is granted for this portion.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for normocytic anemia was dismissed due to his death.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the lack of original claims and medical records for the unauthorized medical expenses incurred on May 9, 2017. The issue will be readjudicated by VAMC in Madison, Wisconsin.