Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for residuals of cold weather injuries in both upper and lower extremities due to insufficient evidence linking current disabilities to service.

The Appellant's claim to be recognized as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for VA purposes is denied because there was no valid marriage between them after their divorce.

The Veteran's skin disorder is remanded for a VA examination to determine its etiology. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is also remanded for a VA examination to determine whether it is related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for additional VA treatment records. The Veteran's death is being reviewed to determine if sub-standard care from VA hastened or caused his colon cancer with metastasis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Waldenstrom’s macroglobulin (WM) has been reopened. The Board finds new and material evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, but remands to obtain additional information regarding exposure to Agent Orange and an opinion on whether the condition was aggravated during service.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU rating from July 22, 2016 onwards. Prior to that date, the Board found that his service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for recurrent exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis to include myalgias due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for further examination.

The Board denied the overpayment of VA compensation benefits due to a retroactive reduction in the compensation rate, finding that the creation of the debt was proper based on the Veteran's felony conviction.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's gastric cancer was related to his service, including exposure to environmental hazards during his deployment in Iraq.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's death from multiple myeloma was related to exposure to non-ionizing radiation during service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bicuspid valve condition was aggravated by his military service, and if so, whether it is related to service.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted, with an effective date of July 11, 2012. The Board found that the Veteran initiated his claim during a period of marginal employment and thus eligibility for schedular TDIU began on the date VA received the claim.

The Veteran's request for VRAP benefits to attend training at Dunlap-Stone University is denied due to the program not meeting eligibility criteria and VA's authority ending on March 31, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for pes cavus and Morton's neuroma have been denied as there is no evidence of current diagnoses or a causal relationship to his in-service service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's TDIU claim due to a lack of SSA records, and VA is required to make as many requests as necessary until it obtains those records or determines that they do not exist.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a missed VA examination, and the Veteran needs to be rescheduled for an examination.

The Veteran's cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is denied as there is no evidence that it was incurred during service or due to exposure to radiation while serving aboard the U.S.S. Granville S. Hall.

The Veteran died in September 1986 and the appellant filed a claim for accrued benefits more than one year later. The Board found that the claim was not timely filed, thus denying the appellant's request for accrued benefits.

The Veteran's dental surgery in November 2008 and subsequent infection resulted in additional disabilities such as facial pigmentation, damaged facial nerve, lost teeth, and heart problems including the insertion of a pacemaker. The Board finds remand necessary due to inadequate medical evidence linking these conditions to the VA treatment.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a neck disability and rheumatic heart disease, as further evaluation is needed due to inconsistencies in medical records and potential changes in symptoms.