Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including adjustment disorder with anxious mood, is found to be related to his combat experiences during service in Vietnam. The Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's emergency medical services at West Virginia University Hospital were approved as they met the criteria for payment under VA regulations, including being treated in an emergency department and due to a condition that would have been hazardous if delayed.

The Board has determined that the issue of apportionment of the Veteran’s VA compensation benefits to the appellant, on behalf of their child C.B., is not ripe for appellate review due to procedural issues. The case involves a simultaneously contested claim and requires full compliance with special procedural regulations.

The Board denied an apportionment of the Veteran's VA compensation benefits on behalf of his child due to insufficient evidence showing financial hardship or inadequate support from the Veteran.

The Veteran's liver cancer and esophageal carcinoma are not service-connected.,The cause of death was listed as hepatic failure due to metastatic liver cancer, which is unrelated to the Veteran's service.

The Board has granted the appellant's request to be recognized as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for purposes of VA benefits, given that they were married for more than a year prior to the Veteran's death in 1972 and there is no indication of remarriage since then.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 10 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The appeal was not about service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the surviving spouse was entitled to nonservice-connected death pension benefits at the aid and attendance rate, which is a form of accrued benefits as reimbursement for the expense of last sickness and burial of the Veteran’s deceased spouse.

The Board dismissed the appeal for entitlement to special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance as the appellant requested a withdrawal of the appeal.

The claim to reopen entitlement to service connection for right upper extremity residuals of gunshot wound is granted. The claim of entitlement to service connection for right upper extremity residuals of gunshot wound is remanded.

The Veteran is seeking a retroactive payment for the period from March 2013 to July 2015, which he claims was not fully compensated by VA. The Board has ordered another financial audit to determine the amount of retroactive benefits paid and any amount still owed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence and the need for VA examination. The Veteran's respiratory disability is being reviewed again, including obtaining service treatment records and a medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to new evidence added to the record after a previous Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC). The Veteran's claim for TDIU will be reconsidered based on all available evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his back disability and TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sleep condition and his service exposure to burn pits. The Veteran will need a new VA examination to determine if his sleep condition is related to his time in service.

The Veteran's other unspecified trauma disorder is rated at 70 percent, but no higher. The Veteran also meets the criteria for a TDIU based on his service-connected other unspecified trauma.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral foot metatarsalgia is not related to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to the Appellant not qualifying as a surviving spouse because she remarried after the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for higher evaluations for his service-connected residual of burns to face and left arm is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a new examination.