Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right hip disorder is related to her in-service fall and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's death occurred before the eligibility criteria for a government-furnished headstone or marker were established, thus denying the claim.

The Veteran's death benefits claim as the surviving spouse is denied because the appellant was divorced from the Veteran at the time of his death and did not meet the legal requirements to be considered a surviving spouse.

The Veteran requested to withdraw from appeal his claims of a higher rating for lytic lesion of the L-2 vertebra with painful motion and TDIU prior to November 20, 2009.

The Veteran's bilateral shin splints are related to his active service. The Board finds that the Veteran has bilateral shin splints, incurred due to marching and running with a backpack during service, and is related to his military service.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected residuals of fracture to right 7th rib, finding that the manifestations are comparable to removal of one rib or resection of two ribs without regeneration.

The Veteran's costochondritis of the left thoracic rib cage has been evaluated as slight disability, and his initial compensable evaluation for this condition is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a dispute on the validity of the overpayment debt, specifically whether it was properly created and the amount owed. The Veteran contests the creation of the debt and asserts she did not receive pension benefits during her period of incarceration.

The Veteran's service connection claim for chronic diastolic heart failure is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the likely etiology of his condition, which may be related to exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for neck disabilities, including herniated discs and Klippel-Feil syndrome, as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The decision also granted TDIU based on the Veteran’s combined rating of 70% due to multiple service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses at Chesapeake General Hospital on April 6-7, 2016 are being remanded for obtaining necessary records to determine if payment or reimbursement is warranted.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a medial sphenoid wing meningioma was denied as there is no evidence linking the condition to his military service. The Veteran also received a TDIU rating due to his PTSD, which rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has broadened the claim to include a service connection for a digestive disability, and it is now remanded due to the need for additional evidence and an addendum opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected constrictive bronchiolitis and leishmaniasis are being remanded for additional examinations to determine their current severity.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 1, 2017, for the addition of his spouse as a dependent to his VA pension award was denied. The RO had already assigned the earliest possible effective date due to the Veteran not submitting a new claim until March 1, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for an initial, compensable disability rating for ventral hernia is being remanded due to the need for additional VA medical records and a possible new examination.

The Board denied payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred for non-VA care at UMPC on September 13, 2018 due to lack of prior authorization and failure to meet the emergency treatment criteria.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating greater than 20 percent for his service-connected herniated disc is dismissed because he withdrew the appeal.

The Veteran's initial rating for his service-connected keratoconus is being remanded due to evidence of worsening symptoms and the nearly nine years since the last VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for stomach cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking his death from gastric cancer to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents. The cause of death is attributed to a condition not related to service.