Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's entitlement to dependency allowance for his stepchildren, K.F. and A.F., after April [Redacted], 2014 is denied because they were no longer members of the household.

The Board has determined that the reduction in compensation benefits due to removal of a dependent child allowance and creation of an overpayment for compensation paid for a dependent child were improper, thus granting the appeal.

The Veteran's service is not sufficient to warrant a benefit rate in excess of 70 percent, and she does not have a service-connected psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied as his service-connected hip conditions do not warrant a higher rating, and he is not unemployable due to these disabilities.

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 Veteran's rib pain and right chest wall pain were found to be emergent, with VA facilities not feasibly available. The Board granted payment or reimbursement for medical expenses incurred at Brooksville Regional Hospital on June 1, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10% rating for deviated nasal septum is denied as the increase in severity was not factually ascertainable prior to July 28, 2016.

The Veteran's myocardial infarction is found to be secondary to his service-connected mitral valve prolapse, and he is granted a rating of 60 percent for this condition. The issue of service connection for a back disability related to the heart condition is remanded.

The Board granted an extension of eligibility for educational assistance benefits under the post-9/11 GI Bill, allowing the Veteran to continue his education until May 1, 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected Crohn's disease has been granted a 60 percent rating, but no higher. The issue of service connection for vision loss secondary to service-connected Crohn's disease is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations to assess the extent of his service-connected residuals of a left thumb/palm puncture wound.

The Board has denied service connection for essential tremors of the head and remanded the claims for recurring soft tissue adenoma of the breast, parapharyngeal tumor, and residuals of uterine cancer.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for unspecified tremors as due to toxic chemical exposure, including a request for an examination.

The Board has granted service connection for carotid artery disease and peripheral artery disease, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions were incurred during active duty. The Veteran served in Vietnam and there is no indication of herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's opioid withdrawal symptoms were not caused by VA fault, negligence or accident from his pain management treatment. The Board denied the claim as there is no evidence of negligence on the part of his providers.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's insomnia is at least as likely as not related to his service, and thus grants service connection for insomnia.

The Board denied service connection for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the nose, cheek, ear, and chest as there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for cause of death, finding that the April 2007 rating decision was final and that the correct effective date is June 28, 2012.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for residuals of a right thigh shrapnel injury was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied. The maximum disability rating (40%) for the condition has been granted.

The Veteran's daughter is denied recognition as a helpless child for the purposes of receiving VA death pension benefits due to her marriage ending in divorce after November 1, 1990.