Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board denied the request to reopen a previously denied claim of service connection for residuals of a neck injury, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the neck, prostate condition (benign prostatic hypertrophy), and anemia. The reasons given were that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's back pain has been rated at 10 percent and the Board is remanding both his increased rating claim for a new examination and his TDIU claim due to lack of supporting documentation.

The appellant is not recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse, thus she is ineligible for DIC benefits.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for arthritis bilateral hips, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his military service or any service-connected disability.

The appellant is not eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 because he reached his 26th birthday before applying and the Veteran died of a service-connected disability after that age.

The Board has denied service connection for tonsillar calculus and remanded the issue of service connection for temporomandibular joint disease (TMJ). The Veteran's statements regarding his current conditions are not credible due to lack of medical evidence. The claim for TMJ is remanded as no VA examination was conducted.

The Board found that the debt in the amount of $333.33 for books, $4,883.40 for housing, and $749.12 for tuition and fees was properly created due to the Veteran's withdrawal from courses without mitigating circumstances.

The Veteran's claim for a bilateral bunion disability is denied as there is no current evidence of the claimed condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has a separately diagnosed sleep disorder and whether any such disorder is related to service or his PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current skin disability and denied service connection for this condition. The sleep disability claim is remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his left hip disabilities are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death was caused by herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to August 16, 2013. However, from August 16, 2013, the evidence shows that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, thus warranting a TDIU effective as of that date.

The Board denied the Appellant's claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse, finding that their marriage was not valid under Florida law and did not meet the requirements of deeming a marriage invalid due to legal impediment.

The Board found that the appellant's discharge from service was under other than honorable conditions due to multiple periods of AWOL, and there were no compelling circumstances warranting these absences. The character of his discharge bars him from receiving VA benefits.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for fibrositis, finding that there was no current diagnosis of fibrositis related to service and that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link between the condition and military service.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of a personal trainer certification cost is granted with an effective date of October 3, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to the testicles or erectile dysfunction.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right hip disorder. The case will be returned for further development and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.