Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left-hand skin disability and bilateral foot skin disability due to inadequate medical opinions in the prior remand. The VA is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing the etiology of these disabilities, particularly whether they are related to exposure to murky water during field exercises.

The Veteran's loss of vision in his left eye is not considered to be caused by the VA's carelessness, negligence, or similar instance of fault. The Board has determined that the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 have not been met.

The Veteran challenges the creation of an overpayment in the amount of $3,528.20 and seeks a waiver of this debt. The claim has not been adjudicated by the RO or referred to COWC for review. The Board must address both issues before considering the waiver request.

The Veteran's reduced evaluations for right hip strain with limited extension, left and right hip strains with limited flexion were restored to their original levels.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for Post-9/11 G.I. Bill educational assistance benefits must be remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding her Naval Academy service obligation.

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

The Board has determined that the procedural steps for a simultaneously contested claim have not been completed, and thus the matter is remanded to ensure full compliance with the required procedures.

The Board has determined that the appellant's discharge from service is under other than honorable conditions due to a prolonged absence without official leave (AWOL) and does not meet the criteria for an upgrade. As such, his character of discharge constitutes a bar to VA benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's bone disorder, specifically osteopenia and osteoporosis, and his service-connected condition of splenectomy with anemia. The examiner is requested to provide a new opinion on these issues.

The Veteran's service-connected herniated nucleus pulposus, L4-5, S-1 was rated at 60 percent disabling for over twenty years and is not entitled to a higher rating. The Board also granted entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted a special apportionment of the Veteran's VA disability compensation benefits to the appellant on behalf of C.R.J., in the amount of the dependency allowance for one dependent child, due to financial hardship demonstrated by the appellant.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information regarding payment of the Veteran's hospital bill from 1988 and a need for an examination to determine the etiology of his left pinky finger condition.

The Veteran's bilateral inguinal hernia and right testicle atrophy are rated as noncompensable, but the Board has referred his claims for increased ratings to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration of an extraschedular rating due to their impact on employment.,The Veteran is seeking a compensable schedular rating for his bilateral inguinal hernia and right testicle atrophy. The Board has remanded these issues, as well as the issue of entitlement to a 10 percent rating based upon multiple, noncompensable, service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of oropharyngeal cancer has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied recognition of the appellant as the Veteran’s surviving spouse, finding that she did not meet the legal requirements for such status.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) due to insufficient evidence of a current diagnosis and potential gaps in medical records. The Veteran is required to provide additional information about his periods of active duty, including National Guard service, and undergo a VA examination to determine if he currently has GBS and whether it is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of a creative organ due to its inextricability with the Veteran's claim for service connection for Female Sexual Arousal Disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cold weather injury residuals of his bilateral feet are being remanded due to inconsistencies in the examination report and the need for a new evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sinonasal adenocarcinoma was related to his presumed Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam.

The appeal for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred during a non-VA hospitalization is dismissed due to the death of the appellant.