Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his service-connected left hip avascular necrosis and fracture of the greater trochanter was dismissed as he requested to withdraw all issues on appeal.

The Board denied the petition to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for residuals of a right foot laceration, finding no new and material evidence that would support reopening the claim.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's right fourth trigger finger, but remanded his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to inconsistencies in his statements and lack of medical evidence connecting the disability to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for interstitial lung disease, including as due to exposure to herbicides and contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, is being remanded for further development. The Board finds that a VA examination is necessary to address the nature and etiology of his interstitial lung disease as it relates to service.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for accrued benefits as she is not a qualifying child and did not provide evidence of expenses incurred for her mother's last sickness or burial.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to new and material evidence. However, the case is remanded as additional medical opinions are needed regarding the etiology of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of degenerative joint disease of the right and left knees have been dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the Veteran's diagnosis and whether his myelodysplastic syndrome is related to presumed herbicide exposure during service. The appellant must provide authorization for VA to obtain her husband’s medical records from the Central Care Cancer Center, and a clarifying medical opinion is needed.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a new examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's West Nile virus and residuals.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for residuals of lymph node cancer, including loss of tonsils, voice box, tongue, and teeth, due to asbestos exposure. The claims are being returned for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current inflammatory bowel disease/ulcerative colitis had its inception during her period of active service. The VA is instructed to schedule an examination and provide a medical opinion on this matter.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU are remanded due to the need to obtain VA Vocational Rehabilitation records that may be relevant to his employment status.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bowel incontinence, urinary incontinence, and groin numbness due to a lack of adequate discussion regarding aggravation by service-connected low back pain.

The Veteran's daughter filed for accrued benefits more than one year after the Veteran's death, which is not timely and thus denied.

The Veteran's right elbow disability has been granted a 40 percent rating, effective April 4, 2011.,Service connection for temporal lobe syndrome with ischemic brain damage is reopened due to new evidence provided.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the lack of a sufficient statement of the case on the issue of the propriety of reducing his rating for service-connected Lyme disease from 100% to 0%. The Veteran has not yet been issued a proper statement of the case.

The Board denied the apportionment of VA benefits to the Appellant because she could not be confirmed as the Veteran's current spouse without evidence of the dissolution of his first marriage or proof that the purported marriage never occurred.

The appellant's income exceeded the maximum annual income for death pension benefits, so she is not eligible for these benefits.

The Board has determined that the most recent VA examination is incomplete and requires a specialist's opinion to assess the Veteran's prostate disability. The case is being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal for nonservice-connected pension benefits is remanded due to a lack of verification of his claimed service with the Department of the Army. The AOJ needs to provide evidence showing that the Department of the Army has delegated verification of service to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).