Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bacterial spinal meningitis, but has remanded it due to the need for a medical examination and opinion regarding whether his condition is related to his military service, specifically his presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for nonservice-connected death pension from August 1, 2011 due to the appellant's countable income exceeding the maximum annual pension rates.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability and a stomach disorder. The skin disability claim was denied as there is no evidence of current chronic skin disabilities related to service or any service-connected condition, while the stomach disorder claim was remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's service-connected rheumatic fever with secondary rheumatic heart mitral valve disease prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, as determined by the Board.

The Board has granted service connection for a left elbow condition and denied service connection for a torn left bicep, cirrhosis of the liver, and hepatitis C. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU is remanded.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities prior to and since March 28, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for leg muscle cramps, special monthly pension prior to November 11, 2011 based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status, and special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.

The appeal is dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no service connection was granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for his chronic diarrhea, finding that it is caused by his service-connected GERD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for varicose veins and initial ratings for shin splints were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and her military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's skin disability, which may be associated with service and presumed Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for right hip bursitis/tendinitis with abduction, adduction, and rotation impairment prior to November 1, 2014, and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's left middle finger tuft fracture was initially assigned a noncompensable rating. A compensable rating of 10 percent is granted as of July 1, 2019.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) as there was no evidence linking his STD to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to recognize his grandchildren, D. and J., as dependent children for VA purposes due to lack of legal adoption or interlocutory adoption decree.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran's ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes are being reviewed, with a focus on whether they are related to herbicide exposure during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal regarding an effective date earlier than November 29, 2016, for recognition of D.A. as his spouse for additional dependency compensation purposes and also denied the propriety of removing M.E., his former spouse, from his award.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's costochondritis, effective May 15, 2019. The decision is based on moderate impairment of Muscle Group XXI.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's left hip disability, which is related to his service-connected posttraumatic arthropathy of the left foot and postoperative resection of the left knee medial plica.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for service-connected prurigo nodularis from January 20, 2014 to April 11, 2019 is granted. The claim for a disability rating in excess of 60 percent for service-connected prurigo nodularis from April 12, 2019 is denied and the case is remanded.