Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's unemployment compensation from Wisconsin Unemployment Insurance Benefits in 2010 is considered countable income for nonservice-connected disability pension purposes and cannot be excluded.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for residuals of back surgery (also claimed as arthritis) through the RAMP program.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for CAD was denied. The RO assigned a 30% rating from August 31, 2010 to October 19, 2015 and a 60% rating thereafter. No earlier effective date is granted as entitlement arose after the effective date of the regulation establishing presumptive service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD).

The Veteran's right foot disability is characterized by painful weight bearing on walking and has been rated at a 10% since the effective date of service connection. The Board finds that this rating is appropriate given the evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left and right eye conditions are not related to his active service, and thus denied the claims for service connection.

The Veteran died in March 2012 and did not have a service-connected disability rated as totally disabling for at least eight years immediately preceding his death. The appellant does not meet the criteria for an increased rate of DIC.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right elbow DJD with limited flexion, supination, and extension are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the annual clothing allowance for a back brace in 2015, and the Board has dismissed this case.

The claim of service connection for residuals of cholecystectomy has been reopened, but the Veteran's gall bladder condition is not found to be caused or aggravated by diabetes or metformin. The rating for scars secondary to coronary artery disease remains at noncompensable.

The Veteran's child is denied because the appellant does not meet the VA definition of a child of the Veteran for purposes of entitlement to DIC.

The Veteran's claims for initial evaluations and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of December 7, 2016 for the service connection of left eye legal blindness and herpes virus.

The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinions are inadequate and a remand is necessary to obtain a new opinion from a different examiner.

The Veteran's appeal for nonservice-connected pension benefits has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for Raynaud’s syndrome, finding that there was no evidence of frostbite or Raynaud’s syndrome during service and that the condition did not manifest within one year of discharge. The Board also noted a lack of continuity of symptoms since separation from service.

The Veteran's dementia (primary progressive aphasia) is granted as service connected due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a lung condition (mesothelioma) with pleural abcession, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's lung condition arose as a result of asbestos exposure during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral allergic conjunctivitis is being remanded due to evidence of potentially worsening symptoms and incomplete records.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining an independent medical expert opinion and obtaining records from Dr. Schwartz.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request for an effective date of June 19, 2009, for removing his stepchildren M. and L. from VA compensation benefits due to their continued residence in his household until they were removed upon his divorce.