Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for breathing problems, night sweats, and gastrointestinal disorder due to inadequate examinations. The Veteran needs new VA examinations to determine if his symptoms are related to service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his right upper extremity weakness, speech dysfluency, dysarthria, and stuttering as residuals of a stroke are remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a vein circulatory disorder of the left leg is remanded due to insufficient evidence and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has denied service connection for colorectal cancer with metastasis to the liver and pelvic cancer, as these conditions are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a thoracic spine disability has been reopened, and the appeal is granted. The Board finds that new evidence raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or aggravated his alcohol abuse, which in turn led to his chronic pancreatitis.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for aortic aneurysm and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding that his service-connected disabilities alone have prevented him from obtaining or sustaining any kind of employment.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death as there was no evidence showing a service-connected disability contributed to his death.

The Board denied service connection for hemifacial spasm and diverticulosis / diverticulitis disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship to active service.,Both conditions were deemed unrelated to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran is seeking retroactive Concurrent Receipt of Retired and Disability Pay for the period from June 1, 2013 to August 31, 2013. The Board finds that an audit is necessary to determine the exact payment(s) made and their periods.

The Veteran is entitled to receive additional Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits for tuition and fees at the 100 percent level for her enrollment in the MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania from September 15, 2011 to December 17, 2011 and January 6, 2012 to April 28, 2012.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and missing medical records from a lung transplant. The Veteran's claim for pulmonary disability will be reconsidered with these additional records.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left hip condition, which includes trochanteric bursitis and iliotibial band syndrome, as secondary to his service-connected left knee condition.

The Board denied service connection for gout, finding that the Veteran's current gout is not related to his service or his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's metastatic high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma is being remanded for a VA medical opinion to determine if it is related to his presumed herbicide agent exposure during service.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for entitlement to a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral shin splints, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral shin splints had its onset during active duty service and resolving all doubt in his favor.

The Board found that VA properly reduced the Veteran's non-service-connected disability pension benefits due to a change in his countable income, specifically including his Social Security retirement benefits. The appeal is denied.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to cataracts resulting from left eye surgery is being remanded because the VA did not provide a waiver of consideration of additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left arm conditions, as secondary to service-connected cervical spine condition or thoracic and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis. The VA examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right and left arm conditions are related to his service-connected disabilities.