Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for bilateral TMJ are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's narcolepsy and his service-connected PTSD, sleep apnea, and Persian Gulf service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a liver condition due to outstanding records and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability is granted, with the condition being aggravated by her military service.

The appellant did not file a timely claim for accrued benefits within one year of her mother's death, and therefore the claim is denied.

The Veteran's service is not considered active military for the purposes of receiving nonservice-connected death pension, and thus his claim for this benefit has been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's residuals of ectopic pregnancy and removal of her right fallopian tube, which are claimed as service-connected.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's employability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current left elbow condition is related to his service. A VA examination is needed to determine if the condition was incurred during service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and cause of death due to herbicide exposure, as well as increased ratings for various disabilities. The VA must obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's metastatic rectal carcinoid and his cause of death.

The Veteran's service connection claim for an eye condition is denied. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of bilateral nuclear cataracts and bilateral reticular degeneration, but there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service. For his left ankle disability, the Board grants a 20 percent rating prior to March 20, 2018, and denies any higher ratings thereafter. The Veteran's knee condition also results in a 20 percent rating.

The Veteran's stepchildren are granted additional dependent compensation as their separation from the household is due to unavoidable circumstances beyond their control.

The Veteran's fatigue is found to be a manifestation of his service-connected back and psychiatric disabilities, thus not an independent disability warranting service connection.

The Board has determined that the Appellant's claim for additional accrued benefits should be remanded to allow consideration of evidence submitted regarding payment made to Edgewood Retirement Center in June 2011.

The Board denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to lack of evidence linking the Decedent's stomach cancer to his military service.

The appeal for death pension benefits, DIC compensation, and accrued benefits is denied as the appellant does not meet the criteria to qualify as a 'child' of the Veteran.

The appellant is not recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse for purposes of establishing eligibility for DIC benefits, accrued benefits, or death pension.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for accrued benefits in excess of $4,776.00 due to the checks being issued by another government agency (Social Security Administration and DFAS) rather than VA.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant died before a decision could be made, and thus has no jurisdiction to proceed.

The Veteran's left knee disability, which includes instability and degenerative joint disease, has been granted a separate rating of 10 percent for the period December 24, 2013 to March 29, 2017. The remaining issues regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and increased evaluation for left knee disability are remanded.