Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Veteran's cause of death, glioblastoma, is found to be service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his military service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

Service connection for HPV genital warts and vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia and benign fibroepithelial polyp, labia status post excision is denied.,The Veteran's headaches are rated at 30 percent from August 22, 2010 through November 1, 2016, and at 50 percent from November 2, 2016 through January 28, 2020.

The Board granted an effective date of December 30, 2008 for death pension benefits on accrued basis. The decision was based on the timely submission of a Notice of Disagreement in response to a September 2009 denial.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records from Social Security Administration and U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, which may contain relevant evidence for the Veteran's TDIU claim prior to March 30, 2016.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including a VA scars examination to assess the Veteran's porphyria cutanea tarda and an opinion on potential effective dates for special monthly compensation.

The Veteran's son did not file a claim for accrued benefits within one year of the death of his mother, resulting in the denial of the claim.

The Veteran's right and left great toe DJD with history of hallux valgus, status post osteotomy have been rated at 10 percent each. The Board denied an increased rating as the disabilities do not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound is denied because he has no service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's death was not caused by, or substantially or materially contributed to, by a service-connected disability. The claim for burial allowance is denied as the statement of account did not list any plot or interment costs.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected unspecified neurocognitive disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a disability rating greater than 10 percent prior to September 8, 2014, greater than 30 percent between September 8, 2014, and August 3, 2017, or greater than 50 percent effective August 3, 2017.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's gastrointestinal condition, including diarrhea, may be related to service exposure to CARC paint and is not secondary to his psychiatric disorder. However, further development is needed as no VA examiner has provided an opinion on this issue.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hand disability, including tendonitis and degenerative joint disease of the right hand/wrist, finding that there was no nexus between his current disabilities and service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development and a need for a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC). The issue of service connection for allergies, including as due to undiagnosed illness and secondary to service-connected disabilities, is now pending.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran, finding that an interlocutory decree of dissolution was not final and thus did not establish a valid marriage at the time of the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for thrombocytopenia, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service. The Veteran had a diagnosis of thrombocytopenia but it was not shown to be related to any in-service disease or injury.

The Board denied service connection for laryngeal cancer due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and alleged exposure to herbicide agents in Puerto Rico, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these exposures and the Veteran's condition.

The Veteran's dry eye disability is remanded for a new VA opinion to determine if it is at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to chemical substances, including paint stripper.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient development and need for a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed trembling/tremors, which may be related to military service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed due to their death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.