Other conditions decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's other specified trauma- and stressor-related disorder, finding that it is related to his deployment in Vietnam.

The Veteran's right claw foot and hammer toes are found to be proximately due to or the result of his service-connected right ankle degenerative joint disease, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left foot disorder due to insufficient evidence and need for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of colon cancer is at least as likely as not related to his in-service asbestos exposure, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for varicose veins, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his active service and the condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left hip lipoma and its residuals are related to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for panic disorder was denied. Before June 10, 2020, the rating remained at 30 percent. After June 10, 2020, a higher rating of more than 50 percent was not granted.

The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's TMJ syndrome, status-post jaw surgery, effective January 5, 2012. The rating was increased to 20 percent from September 21, 2015.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no service connection issues were decided.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of July 31, 2008 for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)-(1). The March 2016 rating decision was found to have made a clear and unmistakable error in applying the law or regulations.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no service connection issues were decided.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to October 20, 2020 was denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and follow all forms of substantially gainful activity.

The Veteran's left epididymal cyst has been consistently manifested by pain, but not to the extent that it requires long-term drug therapy, two hospitalizations per year, or continuous intensive management. The Board denied a compensable rating for this condition and found no need for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a lack of consideration regarding whether the Veteran's ingestion of prescribed Paxil caused his obesity and prevented him from exercising.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and no service connection is granted.

The Veteran's lung condition, diagnosed as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), is not considered to have been caused by or related to his service, including exposure to dust and smoke during his deployment in Southwest Asia. The Board found that the Veteran had no objective evidence of a qualifying chronic disability during service and that IPF is not associated with Gulf War exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and lack of a detailed accounting showing how the Veteran's overpayment of VRAP benefits was calculated. The AOJ is required to obtain missing documents, create a detailed accounting, and consider the Veteran's lay evidence submitted in August 2020.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for VR&E services due to his service-connected disabilities making it not feasible for him to achieve a vocational goal of attaining a Ph.D. and maintaining full-time work in a teaching position.

The Board has granted service connection for a skin disorder, finding it is at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's active military service. The decision is based on post-service treatment records and VA opinions that link the current skin condition to his time in Afghanistan.

The Veteran's right eye disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted. The claim for TDIU was also denied as the combined evaluation of all service-connected disabilities does not meet the criteria for TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a).