Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's stroke, which occurred during his military service. The Veteran is presumed exposed to herbicide agents but there is no direct evidence linking his stroke to his military service.

The Veteran's right elbow disability with limited pronation is rated at 20 percent, effective December 9, 2019. The initial ratings for flexion and extension are denied.

The Board has granted the motion to vacate and remanded the TDIU claim due to new evidence not previously considered.

Your appeal has been dismissed due to a clerical error. The Board's decision in this case is not binding and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability.

The Board denied the overpayment of VA compensation benefits in the amount of $162.00, finding that it was properly created due to a delay in notifying the RO of the spouse's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate compliance with prior remand directives and insufficient medical opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a heart condition, including Brugada syndrome and status post pacemaker, as well as sleep apnea secondary to sinusitis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's trigeminal neuralgia is related to his in-service facial trauma and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for left hip pain, chest pain, and lower back pain due to a lack of evidence showing current disabilities or functional impairment.,Service connection was not granted as the Veteran's complaints were attributed to past injuries and normal aging processes.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's liver disability and its relationship to his service-connected PTSD and alcohol abuse. The appellant is seeking service connection for a liver disability, which may be related to herbicide exposure or secondary to service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there is no evidence showing a relationship between the Veteran's heart disability and his active service.

The Board has denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death, finding that the Veteran's heart condition and other contributing conditions were not caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right leg shin splints and left leg shin splints are granted initial ratings, while the right elbow lateral epicondylitis and left elbow lateral epicondylitis receive a noncompensable rating from March 1, 2015 to October 23, 2019, with an increased rating of 10% thereafter. The issue of service connection for a right-hand disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) is granted a 40 percent disability rating from November 14, 2017 to November 20, 2019. A higher rating of over 40 percent for IVDS from November 21, 2019 is denied.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for bowel distention with small bowel obstruction, effective from July 29, 2016. The Veteran's condition was manifested by severe symptoms including diarrhea or alternating diarrhea and constipation, with more or less constant abdominal distress.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim for service connection for a left eye disorder, to include myopia, claimed as blindness. The case is remanded for further development and an opinion from a neurologist regarding the etiology of the Veteran's vision problems.

The Board has remanded the cases of stroke and carotid artery disease for further development, including obtaining addendum opinions addressing their etiology in relation to service and any service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran’s claim of entitlement to service connection for left leg condition, specifically Charcot Marie Tooth disease. The case is being remanded for further review and clarification.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay report regarding his exposure to paint stripper in service, which may have caused his current dry eye condition.

The Board has determined that the termination of nonservice-connected pension benefits and special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance prior to September 3, 2010 was proper due to the Veteran's excessive net worth.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and no service connection was granted or denied.