Other conditions decisions — 2021

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims related to overpayment of VA compensation benefits due to National Guard drill days in FY 2015 and termination of benefits due to return to active duty on January 3, 2016. The Veteran needs a clear accounting of these debts and an explanation for their calculation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a left foot disability and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's case is being remanded for further development to determine the nature and likely cause of any pulmonary disability, assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD, and refer this case to the Director, Compensation Service, for extraschedular consideration of TDIU.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant's authorized representative requested to withdraw the appeal before a decision was made.

The Veteran's right hip disabilities are being remanded for additional development to ensure proper evaluation and compensation. The TDIU claim is also deferred as it is inextricably intertwined with the right hip increased rating claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient compliance with prior remand directives and a need for additional medical opinion regarding service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's perforated tympanic membrane. A new or addendum medical opinion is required from a qualified examiner, specifically an otolaryngologist.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of left ring finger fracture and for a temporary total evaluation based on surgery and need for convalescence for residuals, fracture, left ring finger. The primary reasons were that the June 2009 surgery was not treatment for the service-connected left ring finger fracture and that the Veteran's hand disability is characterized by ankylosis of the left ring finger at the PIP joint.

The Board has granted service connection for a sinus disorder. The claims for allergic conjunctivitis with dry eye syndrome and refractive error are remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran seeks payment or reimbursement for medical expenses incurred at Temecula Valley Hospital on October 31, 2015. The claim was denied due to a lack of timely filing as per VA regulations. The Board has ordered the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) to request evidence from the Veteran and make attempts to verify her assertions regarding timely filing.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's MGUS is related to his herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The case will be reviewed again with a VA examination and consideration of new regulations.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant requested to withdraw it before a decision was made.

The Veteran's request for a waiver of overpayment of VA pension benefits was deemed timely, and the case is remanded to adjudicate the appropriateness of the waiver.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death and entitlement to DIC benefits, finding that stomach cancer was not caused by exposure to fire suppressant chemicals during active duty. The evidence did not support a nexus between the Decedent's limited exposure to firefighting activities and his diagnosed stomach cancer.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for hidradenitis suppurativa of the right axilla with scars prior to May 25, 2017 and a rating in excess of 20 percent from May 25, 2017 to January 10, 2020. The Veteran was granted a disability rating of 60 percent as of January 10, 2020 for hidradenitis suppurativa of the right axilla with scars.

The Board has denied service connection for ulcers and remanded the claims of bilateral leg arthritis and peripheral vascular disease due to lack of current diagnoses. The cases are being returned to VA for further development.

The Board finds that the Appellant, as the Veteran's surviving spouse and substitute claimant, is entitled to remittance of unreimbursed medical expenses incurred by the Veteran in 2013.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) as it is no longer in dispute because the Veteran was already receiving a combined schedular rating and special monthly compensation.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for osteonecrosis of the left hip due to potential service connection based on exposure to cold weather during his military service. The decision is pending further examination and opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for Raynaud's syndrome (claimed as cold weather injuries) due to a lack of current diagnosis and no evidence linking it to his military service.