Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left and right index finger injuries. The VA must obtain additional evidence and provide another opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right hand condition, eye condition (including lazy eye), and lung condition due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's lung cancer is not service-connected, and the claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding potential exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's spouse is denied an extension of the delimiting date for Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits due to lack of medical evidence showing a specific time period during which she was prevented from initiating or completing her chosen program of education.

The Veteran's daughter, the appellant, is not eligible for accrued benefits as she does not qualify as a child under VA regulations. The appellant has been reimbursed for burial expenses and thus cannot receive additional reimbursement.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether his January 1996 VA surgery caused additional disability, including chronic right groin pain, hydroceles, erections problems, and testes pain.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for right and left great toe disabilities is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an examination.

The Board has granted service connection for dry eye syndrome and denied service connection for bilateral cataracts. The Veteran's right long finger disability is rated at 10 percent, while his right ring finger disability does not warrant a compensable rating. The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as 10 percent disabling as of March 24, 2017.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a spinal cord disability (with tetraplegia) is granted to reopen, and the case is remanded for further development regarding willful misconduct in the accident resulting in his injury.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a macular eye hole, a rating in excess of 10 percent for mental health to include sleep dysfunctions (nightmares), and TDIU prior to February 1, 2018. The evidence did not establish that his currently diagnosed conditions were related to or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's death benefits claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied as the appellant and Veteran did not meet the eligibility criteria of being married to the Veteran before the expiration of 15 years after the termination of the period of service, lasting for one year or more prior to the Veteran's death, or having a child together.

The Veteran's death from metastatic pancreatic cancer is not related to his presumed exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune or otherwise related to his active duty service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as all requested benefits have been granted in full, including service connection for a left leg disorder and muscle disorder, with an initial rating of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain status post lumbar laminectomy.

The Veteran is granted effective dates for adding his spouse and second child as dependents, with the spouse's effective date being November 5, 1996, and the second child's effective date being September 23, 2000. The ratings were awarded based on a 30% disability rating.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 5260 for limitation of flexion to 90 degrees with painful motion. The appeal is denied as there are no findings of flexion limited to 30 degrees or extension limited to 15 degrees.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed due to his death, and no compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional disability claimed as a result of VA inpatient medical treatment for a perforated duodenal ulcer from November 4, 2009 to March 12, 2010 is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hand and arm pain, as well as his low back and left leg disabilities. The issues of service connection for these conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities render achievement of a vocational goal infeasible, leading to the denial of additional VR&E services.

The Veteran's pension benefits were increased from $744.00 to $892.00 effective January 1, 2018.

Service connection for left ACL repair, status-post arthroscopy with debridement is granted. Temporary total evaluation due to surgery of the left knee from October 10, 2012, and November 6, 2012, is also granted.