Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies regarding the relationship of the Veteran and his children, specifically with respect to R.H. The effective date for recognition of M.C. as a child is set at September 24, 2015.

The Board denied the appellant's petition to reopen her claim for a non-service connected pension because no new and material evidence was submitted, and she did not serve in the Coast Guard as claimed.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further development regarding the Veteran's exposure to ionizing radiation and his service connection claim.

The Veteran's skin condition, diagnosed as tinea versicolor and tinea corporis, is found to have begun during active service and has continued since. The Board affirms the grant of service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient development and need for a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's claim of an irregular curvature of the spine. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional records, including from VA providers, and refer the case to a suitable examiner for further evaluation.

The November 1979 rating decision granted service connection for Crohn's disease and assigned a 10 percent initial rating, based on new evidence that reopened the claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal regarding discontinuance of vocational rehabilitation benefits under Chapter 31, Title 38, United States Code. The decision found that the Veteran effectively withdrew from VR&E in June 2014 and there were no mitigating circumstances to allow him to remain in interrupted status.

The Board denied the appellant's request to be considered a substitute party for the Veteran's appeal regarding an earlier effective date for total rating based on individual unemployability due to the appellant not meeting the definition of a 'child' as defined by VA.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a respiratory disorder, chest pain, right hand disorder, and left hand disorder due to unclear medical opinions and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further action on the appellant's claims of accrued benefits and reimbursement of burial and medical expenses.

The Board denied the appellant's claim as she did not have active duty service in Vietnam, and thus is ineligible for presumptive exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine if the appellant has any form or manifestation of spina bifida other than spina bifida occulta, as per the remand instructions.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence regarding whether the Veteran's squamous cell cancer is related to his exposure to herbicide agents in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for dementia and a lung disorder (claimed as mesothelioma) due to in-service exposure to environmental toxins. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all relevant VA records, request private medical records from Drs. M. and B., and ensure that development procedures set forth in the M21 are complied with.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and requests for additional searches. The appellant is seeking non-service-connected death pension benefits, but the Veteran's service dates are unclear.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of February 15, 2018 for a 40 percent disability rating for service-connected IVDS with degenerative joint disease. The claim for increased ratings prior to this date is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for spastic colitis, finding that the correct facts were known at the time and the regulations were correctly applied. The decision is final as the Veteran did not submit a notice of disagreement or new and material evidence within the appeal period.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no jurisdiction remains for further action.

The claim for service connection for a low back disability, including an L5-S1 herniation with S1 radiculitis and spina bifida, has been reopened. The claim for service connection for toxic myopathy as secondary to medications taken for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for residuals of Guillain-Barre Syndrome due to insufficient evidence and a need for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and private healthcare provider records.