Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for retroactive CRDP, stating that he was already awarded a retroactive payment from the earliest permitted by law.

The Veteran's cause of death is granted effective from April 1, 2014.

The Board has found that further development is needed to obtain VA and private treatment records for the Veteran's aortic valvular disease. The case will be returned to the Board after compliance with appellate procedures.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an opinion regarding the Veteran's celiac artery stenosis, skin condition, and initial compensable rating. The service connection for bilateral dry eye syndrome is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, finding that the Veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during military service meets the requirements for presumptive service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's discharge from active service is now under honorable conditions, thus removing any previous bar to VA benefits.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for idiopathic cardiomyopathy has been granted, with the condition being considered newly material due to recent medical opinions linking it to his diabetes.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome, finding that the condition had its inception during the Veteran's period of honorable active duty service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to new evidence added after the most recent adjudication in September 2015. The case will be reconsidered and a supplemental statement of the case provided if necessary.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC). The Veteran's claims for increased PTSD, individual unemployability, and Dependents' Educational Assistance are not currently before the Board.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA medical opinion regarding the cause of death, and will further adjudicate these matters once the cause of death claim is resolved.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of an eye disability due to exposure in Southwest Asia. The Veteran is required to undergo a VA examination and provide opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed condition.

The Board denied a higher rate of payment for death pension benefits from December 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016 and from March 1, 2016 to August 1, 2016 due to income exceeding the maximum annual pension rates. The termination of death pension benefits was proper from August 1, 2016 to December 1, 2017.

The Board denied the appellant's appeal regarding income and medical expenses counted for pension purposes, finding that they were correctly counted. The death pension benefits were reduced from February 1, 2009 to January 31, 2010, and terminated on January 1, 2015 due to increased countable income.

The Veteran's application to re-open the claim for service connection for bilateral calluses is granted. The Board finds that new and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen the claim, as the December 2018 statement from his podiatrist raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's lupus erythematosus, resulting from drug-induced lupus, is granted as an additional disability due to VA treatment. The Board found that the event was not reasonably foreseeable.

The Veteran's death prevented any claims for accrued benefits from being processed, as the claim was not pending at the time of his death. The Board denied the appeal.

The Veteran's daughter is not eligible for accrued benefits as she does not meet the criteria of being a child or having paid burial expenses.

The Board denied benefits for spina bifida and mental impairment due to the father's exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, as the appellant did not meet the criteria for eligibility under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 or § 1815.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left hip degenerative joint disease is at least as likely as not related to his in-service left knee injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.