Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left eye conditions, which are secondary to nonservice-connected histoplasmosis mediastinal lymph glands, need further examination and opinion due to incomplete records and a previous denial of the claim.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for his service-connected right proximal index finger and right ring finger disabilities are being remanded due to incomplete medical records and inadequate examination reports.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates due to a lack of clarity in the SOC and the need to obtain additional medical records.

The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral dysfunction is currently rated at 10 percent, with a separate 10 percent rating for painful motion. The Board found no evidence of instability or other conditions warranting higher ratings. The appeal is mixed as some issues were granted and others denied.

The Board has remanded the claim for a liver disability, including as due to PTSD-related alcoholism, due to insufficient medical evidence and the need for an examination.

A rating of 10 percent, but no higher, for right thumb dislocation is granted.,A rating of 10 percent, but no higher, for postoperative scarring of the face is granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for acetabular impingement syndrome (AIS) of the right hip with sacroiliac dysfunction, limitation of extension of the right hip, and limitation of abduction, adduction, and rotation of the right thigh and hip. The remand requires a new VA examination to evaluate the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the appellant, through his authorized representative, requested to withdraw the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has determined that the matter is not ripe for appellate review due to procedural issues and remands it for compliance with contested claims procedures.

The Board is remanding the issue of whether the severance of service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was proper, due to a duty-to-assist error regarding herbicide exposure in Guam. The Veteran served in the Republic of Vietnam and claims he was exposed there from 1975.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations to address his claimed disabilities and determining their etiology.

The Board has granted service connection for soft tissue sarcoma of the right leg, amputation of the right leg as secondary to service-connected right leg amputation, and right hand numbness as secondary to service-connected right leg amputation. The decision is based on presumptive exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an eye disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability and insufficient medical evidence linking any diagnosed condition to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for updated medical records and a new examination to assess her current disability status.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to address whether the duty to assist had been satisfied by the RO, specifically regarding an inadequate medical opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's current recurrent UTIs and her active service.

The Veteran wishes to withdraw from appeal the issues of entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the loss of use of the left hand and lower extremities. The Board has dismissed these issues as a result.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral loss of vision is not related to his active duty service, as evidence did not show it was incurred or aggravated during service.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for purposes of receiving VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits due to a lack of evidence showing that she was married to the Veteran at the time of his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's non-ossifying fibroma of the right tibia, claimed as a right calf disorder, is service-connected and grants this claim.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's right Achilles tendon rupture, finding that the disability was characterized by moderate limited motion and no ankylosis or other severe impairment.