Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and the need for a VA medical opinion regarding the appellant's mental state at the time of his discharge. The issues on appeal are whether the character of the appellant's discharge is a bar to eligibility for VA benefits, and whether he was insane at the time of his offenses leading to his discharge.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a non-ischemic heart condition, finding that there was no evidence to establish a link between his herbicide exposure in service and his current heart disability.

The Veteran's surviving spouse was denied entitlement to non-service-connected death pension benefits due to her income exceeding the maximum annual pension rate.

The Veteran's child, T.F.B., is granted a 20 percent apportionment of the Veteran's VA disability compensation benefits on behalf of their daughter. The decision was based on the Veteran's failure to discharge his duty of support for T.F.B.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating for residuals of a right cornea injury, and the Board dismissed the case as a result.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left index finger disability and remanded the issue of entitlement to initial compensable evaluation for renal cancer prior to January 24, 2018 and in excess of 60 percent on or after January 24, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his right trapezius muscle strain and TDIU are being remanded due to incomplete development. The case will be returned to the RO for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected other specified trauma and stress-related disorder has rendered him unemployable as of March 24, 2016, but no earlier. The Board granted TDIU based on this condition.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings on appeal was denied. Prior to March 26, 2012, the disability was not manifested by characteristic attacks occurring at least one to three times per week, and from that date, it has been manifested by daily characteristic attacks but without two or more digital ulcers or autoamputation of one or more digits.

The Board denied service connection for memory impairment, finding that it did not have its onset during active service and was not otherwise etiologically related to such service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than June 30, 2011 for service connection of peripheral artery disease of the bilateral lower extremities due to lack of evidence showing that the condition arose prior to this date.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability was dismissed because the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection and ratings due to the appellant's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents or defoliants during service, and for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for peripheral retinal degeneration as moot due to a grant of benefits. The Veteran's eye disabilities, including vitreous floaters and dry eye syndrome, are not service-connected because they resulted from prior LASIK surgery during active duty. Conjunctivitis is denied as there was no diagnosis or signs/symptoms attributable to the condition. Claims for higher initial ratings for left and right shoulder disabilities remain on appeal.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and he did not meet the criteria for burial or plot allowance as his death occurred at home without VA involvement.

The Veteran's service-connected stab wound residual deep venous thrombosis with pseudoaneurysm of the right lower extremity is rated at 40 percent, and no higher. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and a need for a retrospective VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's scapulocostal syndrome between December 21, 1974 and February 23, 2001.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date subsequent to January 1, 2013, for removing his dependent spouse from his VA disability compensation due to lack of legal basis.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded because the Social Security Administration records have not been associated with his claims file.