Other conditions decisions — 2020

The appeal has been dismissed because the appellant, who is the Veteran's surviving spouse, died during the pendency of the appeal.

The claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a burn to the hands has been reopened and granted. The claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a burn to the head was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran served in Vietnam with boots on the ground and within Blue Water offshore of Vietnam, which could affect his eligibility for presumptive service connection for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

The Veteran's patellofemoral arthritis and associated knee instability have been evaluated based on the severity of their symptoms, resulting in staged ratings for different periods. The appeal has resulted in multiple remands due to issues with the evaluation criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal regarding the recoupment of his disability severance pay, finding that withholding the amount was required by law and proper.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for ulcerative colitis due to inadequate examination and failure to consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to procedural issues and for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative changes to his thoracic spine is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records.

The Veteran passed away during the appeal, making it impossible to decide on the merits of his claims.

The Board has decided the case and has ordered a remand for further development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for a sleep disorder, including insomnia.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 because the Veteran's additional disability was not caused by VA's failure to provide a colonoscopy, and there was no fault on VA's part.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left heel condition was aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's initial claim for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for service-connected cubital tunnel syndrome of the left elbow/hand was denied. From October 21, 2019, forward, a separate 10 percent evaluation for limitation of motion of the left long finger is granted.

The Board dismissed the appeals for eligibility in acquiring special adapted housing, a home adaptation grant, and financial assistance for an automobile due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome, including a lack of confirmation of in-service chemical exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his metastatic adenocarcinoma was likely due to a primary lung cancer, which is presumed to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 20 percent since October 24, 2019. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating for any period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a waiver of overpayment and found that the creation of the debt was proper, but recovery would not be against equity and good conscience due to the Veteran's fault in creating the debt.

The appeal was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew their appeal through their authorized representative.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for frontotemporal lobe dementia, including as secondary to service-connected thrombocytopenia and due to ionizing radiation exposure. The Veteran's personnel records show he worked in various roles related to missile control communications equipment repair, but VA did not obtain his DD Form 1141 or pursue dose assessment based on claimed exposure. Further development is needed including obtaining the DD Form 1141 and following VA regulatory criteria for claims based on radiation exposure.