Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Board denied service connection for left and right foot numbness, including as secondary to a service-connected lumbosacral strain. The evidence did not support the existence of current disabilities.

The appeal for service connection of bilateral foot conditions is dismissed because the claim has been fully granted in a May 2020 rating decision.

The Veteran's service connection claim for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining his complete service treatment records and conducting a dose estimate based on his military occupation. The Veteran will also be examined by a hematologist or oncologist to determine if his CML is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral ear disability and sleep disorder due to insufficient opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, with the hearing loss potentially related to service and the sleep disorder possibly secondary to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder may be related to mustard gas exposure, but needs more information from Social Security Administration records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for gout, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his military service and the development of this condition. The Board noted that while the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange during his Vietnam service, gout is not considered a disease associated with exposure to herbicides under VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA examination report, and additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's lipomas are related to service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board denied service connection for a dental disability for compensation purposes, finding no evidence of loss of substance of the body of the maxilla or mandible due to in-service trauma or disease.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his psychiatric disorder to his military service or his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's daughter, A.G., is being recognized as the helpless child of the Veteran due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to reaching 18 years old. The claim was remanded because new evidence has been submitted and SSA records are needed.

The Veteran's appeal for the addition of his former spouse (N.B.) as a dependent was denied due to insufficient information regarding her prior marriage and divorce.,The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for dependents (H.N., I.C.) was also denied because he did not provide sufficient information about their marital history.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of death and DIC benefits due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's exposure to asbestos and herbicide agents in service, particularly concerning his service within the territorial sea of Vietnam.

The Veteran's application for additional dependency benefits based on his child's college attendance is incomplete and requires the submission of a completed VA Form 21-674, Request for Approval of School Attendance.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a sleep disorder and bilateral foot disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Board has remanded two issues related to the Veteran's service-connected right tonsil squamous cell carcinoma. The first issue is about muscle cramps in the neck, and the second is about multiple and recurrent oral candida infections. Both cases require additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete evidence and need for further medical evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inaccurate factual premise in a previous VA examiner's opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran’s death. A new VA medical opinion is required considering all evidence of record, including the August 2013 private treatment record showing acute respiratory failure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neurological conditions of both upper extremities, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his service-connected neck disability or any other service event.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for gout was granted. The Board found that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran had continuous gout symptoms in and since service, thus granting service connection for gout. However, the issue of service connection for a pulmonary disorder, claimed as shortness of breath, due to herbicide agent exposure remains remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for a waiver of overpayment of non-service-connected pension benefits, finding that collection would not be against equity and good conscience due to the Veteran's fault in creating the debt.