Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Veteran's right breast cancer returned and required treatment, leading to a full grant of the requested rating from September 1, 2017 to December 19, 2017.

The Board denied the overpayment of VA compensation benefits for a dependent spouse, finding that the Veteran's continued receipt of payments after his divorce contributed to the creation of the overpayment.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for additional training to obtain a Master of Legal Studies degree and placed him in 'interrupted' status due to his failure to continue with rehabilitation services.

The Board denied the Appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of her deceased husband, finding that she was not married to him at the time of his death and thus did not meet the legal requirements for VA benefits.

The Board denied recognition of the appellant as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefit purposes due to a prior divorce, finding that the appellant no longer meets the requirements of a valid marriage.

The Veteran's child, E., was in school during the specified periods and VA had notice of her attendance. Therefore, additional dependency benefits based on school attendance are granted for these periods.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for death pension benefits as she remarried after her husband's death and her second marriage was not voided, annulled or dissolved by court decree.

The Veteran's death is remanded due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding whether in-service exposure to herbicide agents caused or contributed to his glioblastoma primary brain tumor.

The Veteran's service connection claims for residuals of facial injuries, including an aneurysm and memory loss, are remanded due to the need for a VA examination. The claims for residuals of facial injuries, including loss of sense of smell and taste, have been granted.

The Board has determined that a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's respiratory disability, including pulmonary fibrosis, is at least as likely as not related to his in-service asbestos exposure.

The appeal is dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Veteran's service-connected myotonic dystrophy type II is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of her condition. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to inconsistencies in the record.

The Veteran's other specified trauma or stressor related disorder is rated at a 70 percent disability rating, effective April 1, 2015. The claim for an earlier effective date remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran was stationed on ships that entered Vietnam's territorial seas during his service. The claim will be reconsidered with this information.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if any left lung disability is related to active service, including acknowledged herbicide agent exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disability, finding that there was no evidence to support the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and concluding that the diagnosed sleep disorder is less likely than not related to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or at the housebound rate.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for Merkel cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service, including exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected right middle and small finger fractures are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the VA examination.

The Veteran's varicose veins were diagnosed during service and are considered to be related to his active duty service. The Board granted the claim for service connection.