Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a more contemporaneous VA examination and an opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's retinal detachment disability and his service-connected eye disability.

The Board has decided that the overpayment of VA compensation benefits was improperly created due to a change in dependents status, and thus remanded for further action.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for status as a veteran and compensation benefits due to lack of qualifying military service, despite his claimed Merchant Seaman service during the Vietnam era.

The Board has determined that the Appellant's discharge from service was due to willful and persistent misconduct, which constitutes a bar to VA compensation benefits. The case is being remanded for consideration of whether there is clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the application of the regulation regarding dishonorable discharges.

The Veteran's back disability and TDIU claim are being remanded for additional examinations and updated treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a skin condition, arthritis of various joints, and chronic cough.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's schizoaffective disorder began during active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has not fully addressed the service connection claim due to incomplete medical opinions and remands are required for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for a cervical spine disorder and intermittent explosive disorder due to inadequate examination. The Veteran's service connection claim remains pending.

The Veteran's Fuchs dystrophy and keratoconus have been rated based on their impact on visual acuity. The initial rating of 10% was granted in October 2009, followed by a subsequent increase to 30% effective October 18, 2018. The appeal for higher ratings remains pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for chronic pancreatitis and internal varices, both claimed as secondary to service-connected hypertension and coronary artery disease. The remand is due to deficiencies in a previous medical opinion.

The Veteran withdrew his claim for an effective date prior to February 25, 2011 for the grant of additional dependency benefits.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed due to their death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Board has granted the Appellant's application to reopen her previously denied claim for service connection for cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that his AML was related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The cause of death is therefore considered service-connected.

The Board has granted service connection for alcohol abuse disorder secondary to PTSD. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's stroke.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, so the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's causes of death were not related to his service-connected conditions, and there was no evidence of herbicide exposure. The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for throat cancer and baroreflex failure due to alleged herbicide exposure, as well as the secondary claim for baroreflex failure. Additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in Korea and whether his conditions are related to his military service.

The Board denied recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for dependency and indemnity compensation, death pension, and accrued benefits due to lack of a valid marriage under VA benefit criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected rashes have covered more than 40 percent of his entire body for the entire appeal period, warranting an initial 60 percent rating.