Other conditions decisions — 2021

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a colon disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and active duty or in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial evaluation and earlier effective date for service connection of panic disorder with agoraphobia is granted. The effective date is set at March 7, 2001.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for loss of teeth and facial muscle damage have been dismissed as the representative withdrew his appeal.

The Veteran's right elbow flexion contracture and limitation of pronation and supination were denied as the disability did not warrant a higher rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues related to a contested claim involving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits for the cause of the Veteran's death. The appeal is not about service connection, but rather the entitlement to DIC.

The Veteran's pension benefits were improperly calculated due to his Social Security Administration (SSA) income, which was not properly considered. The case is remanded for clarification from SSA regarding the status of his benefits and any repayment required.

The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinion is inadequate and requires further evaluation to determine if the Veteran's skin conditions are related to his herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's skin disabilities, including his basal cell carcinoma. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether each diagnosed skin disability is related to service and if the current basal cell carcinoma is caused or aggravated by his service-connected chloracne.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a separate compensable rating for bilateral lower extremity atherosclerosis of the distal vessels, and the Board dismissed the appeal.

The Board denied challenges to the creation of an overpayment and a claim for waiver of the debt arising from the overpayment. The overpayment was created due to the Veteran's incarceration, which reduced his VA benefits to a 10% rating during his imprisonment.

The overpayment of nonservice-connected pension benefits in the amount of $3,315.00 was properly created and denied.

The Veteran's left lower leg lymphedema has been rated at 20 percent since January 30, 2006. The Board remanded the issue of TDIU due to service-connected disabilities because it did not provide an adequate statement of reasons or bases regarding whether referral was warranted for extraschedular TDIU consideration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral keratoconus with defective vision and ear condition has been remanded due to the need for additional evidence and medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's head pain is related to his service-connected cervical spine condition and if it is aggravated by that condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to discrepancies in the Veteran's release date from incarceration and issues with retroactive VA benefits awards. The case will be reviewed for any overpayment, and a complete financial status report may be required.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral hip disorder and TDIU, finding that there was no evidence linking his current hip condition to his military service or service-connected disabilities. The Board also found that he did not meet the criteria for TDIU based on his combined disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Appellant's accrued benefits claim was timely filed. However, the matter is being remanded for further adjudication on the merits.

The Veteran's appeal for resumption of additional dependency compensation for his adult son J.D. is denied because the child elected to receive Chapter 35 educational benefits, which bars the veteran from receiving additional dependency compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1115.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete VA opinions and the need for an additional addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right hip disorder, specifically whether it is related to her service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's claim for additional compensation benefits for his spouse G was granted from April 23, 2012 to December 20, 2013 based on the establishment of a disability rating and proof of dependency.