Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination for assessing the severity of the Veteran's service-connected right femoral neck disability. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to assess his current functional loss during flare-ups and with repeated use over time.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's eye disabilities, including bilateral meibomian gland dysfunction and chalazion of the right eye, are related to service in Southwest Asia. The VA examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion on this issue.

The Board granted service connection for a left-hand disability, finding that the Veteran's condition had its onset during her period of military service.

The Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for Barrett's esophagus due to missing service treatment records and the need for a medical opinion.

The Veteran's B-cell leukemia is presumed to be due to exposure to herbicide agents during service at Takhli Air Force Base in Thailand. The Board found it likely that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents and granted his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities have been granted increased ratings, with the right shoulder receiving a 40% rating.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral diplopia, finding that the schedular rating criteria adequately addressed his disability picture and that no unusual or exceptional disability pattern had been demonstrated.

The Board has granted service connection for the right foot tibial sesamoid fracture, finding that it was caused by active service and is not related to any exposure or presumption.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran's service-connected left hip strain disability needs to be re-evaluated and rated.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's right elbow arthritis with lateral epicondylitis is granted a rating of 30 percent, but not higher, beginning May 18, 2015. Prior to that date, the condition was rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Gulf Coast Medical Center on January 1, 2016 for a condition of such severity that a prudent layperson would have reasonably expected immediate treatment were reimbursed as the nearest VA facility was not feasibly available.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the relationship between polyarteritis nodosum and service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The July 2012 rating decision is dismissed due to the submission of new and material evidence, resulting in a grant of service connection for Guillen Barre Syndrome with an effective date of July 8, 2011.

The Veteran's right middle finger disability is currently rated as 30 percent disabling prior to October 17, 2019 and 70 percent thereafter. The VA has not obtained all relevant treatment records, including those from private providers like Kleinert and Kutz, and the RO needs to request these records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right leg disabilities, as well as her eligibility for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or adaptive equipment. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the current bilateral leg disabilities and active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues, specifically regarding whether the Appellant's August 2013 VA Form 9 was timely submitted and whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a previously denied claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand instructions and further development is needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right-hand disability, finding that there was no causal relationship between his current disability and any in-service injury or disease.