Other conditions decisions — 2020

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no service connection issues were decided.

The Board has decided that more evidence is needed to determine if the appellant can be recognized as the Veteran's 'helpless child' due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to reaching age 18.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that his glioblastoma was caused or substantially contributed to by exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The effective date is set at October 1, 2001, which is the first day of the month following the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with the standard used for a presumption of aggravation and inadequate reasons or bases addressing the Veteran's lay assertions regarding his eye disabilities.

The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for the service-connected heart murmur, finding that the Veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Board denied service connection for a substance abuse disorder, finding that the Veteran's use of illegal drugs and alcohol to enjoy their intoxicating effects constituted willful misconduct. As such, direct service connection was not granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for infertility or sterility as there is no current diagnosis of such conditions in the record, and thus did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's chronic blepharitis was manifested by active conjunctivitis at any time during the appeal period. The claim is being returned for further action.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the service connection claim related to the cause of death, as the previous VA opinion was inadequate and did not address all relevant issues. The case is being remanded for further examination and analysis.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of a sleep disorder before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and a need for further proceedings.

The Board denied service connection for a skin disorder, finding no relationship between the Veteran's current skin disorders and active duty service, including exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's SLE began during his service. The Veteran needs to provide updated medical records and a VA examination is required.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's keratosis pilaris is not related to his service, including exposure to environmental hazards in the Gulf War. The evidence does not support a nexus between the current skin disorder and service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a lack of VA examinations for EMG and nerve conduction studies, which were requested in previous decisions. The Veteran's representative argues that adequate notice was not provided regarding the time, date, and location of the examination.

The Board has remanded the issue of whether the Veteran's bowel and bladder incontinence is service-connected, as it relates to his service-connected low back disability. Additional development is needed due to conflicting evidence regarding the presence of a current bowel and/or bladder incontinence disability.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral foot disorder, finding that the preexisting condition did not worsen during service and was due to natural progression.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant requested to withdraw it before a decision was made.

The Board has decided that the VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral ankle condition is inadequate and remanded for further examination. The examiner did not consider the Veteran's lay statements or provide an alternative explanation for his ankle conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's vocational goal of pursuing employment in computer services, or another related field, is reasonably feasible for the purpose of vocational rehabilitation and training. The decision grants entitlement to VR&E services, including training for a computer services career.