Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board found that the Veteran's character of discharge was not a bar to receiving VA benefits due to lack of service records and determined his misconduct was a minor offense with otherwise honest, faithful, and meritorious service.

The Veteran's additional disabilities, including encephalopathy, paraplegia, and pressure sores, were not reasonably foreseeable consequences of the laminectomy performed on a fee basis in December 2010. The claim is granted as his condition was deemed to be service-connected under Section 1151.

The Veteran's oral cavity cancer is being remanded for a VA examination to determine its etiology, including whether it is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claim for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits is being remanded due to uncertainty regarding his period of service from August 17, 2009, to March 15, 2010. The VA needs to verify the nature and purpose of this period of active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for mouth sores breakout and gastrointestinal problems, as well as his requests for an earlier effective date for PTSD service connection and a TDIU. The issues of an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD are currently on appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death and entitlement to burial benefits due to potential issues with the exposure basis and need for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as she cannot receive more than 48 months of VA educational assistance benefits under a combination of the Chapter 31 and Post-9/11 GI Bill programs. The Veteran had already used 33 months and 22 days of Chapter 31 or Vocational Rehabilitation educational assistance benefits by March 2017, leaving her entitled to a maximum of 14 months and 8 days of Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance benefits.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and evaluation of his right hand disability other than a subchondral right thumb cyst, which may include determining if any identified disabilities are related to service or aggravated by the service-connected condition.

The claim for VA home loan guaranty benefits is denied because the Veteran was not in receipt of compensation at the time of his death for a service-connected disability rated totally disabling.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to recognize his former spouse, B.K., and stepchildren R.F., A.F., and E.E. as dependents for VA purposes for the period from June [Redacted], 2013 to January 13, 2014.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and no jurisdiction remains for further action.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a jaw condition, finding that there is no evidence to support a current disability related to his in-service assault.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses at Catholic Medical Center (CMC) from May 4, 2015 to May 6, 2015 is remanded due to the need for further development. The Veteran's claim for beneficiary travel benefits is also remanded as additional documents are required and VA records must be obtained.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and military personnel records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected narcolepsy (claimed as idiopathic hypersomnia), finding that his condition is well-controlled with medication and there is no indication he suffers from seizures.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for compensation for a dental disability of tooth #9 is denied. The Veteran is granted eligibility for VA dental treatment based on service trauma to tooth #9.

The Veteran's Hodgkin's lymphoma is considered to have manifested within a year of his separation from service, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for supraventricular arrhythmia, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disability in service and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between current symptoms and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for disruption of central extensor tendon of the left fifth finger, service connection for a right eye disorder, and service connection for male pattern baldness. The decision found that there was no diagnosed condition in any of these cases.