Other conditions decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee arthritis was denied. However, the Veteran received a grant of a 10 percent rating for lateral instability due to left knee arthritis effective December 16, 2012.

The Veteran's son, E.F., is being remanded for further evaluation to determine if he was permanently incapable of self-support prior to his 18th birthday.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the loss of his height is dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate this claim as he passed away during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for a right foot condition to include pain, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition was aggravated by military service and resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Veteran's request for a government-furnished headstone or grave marker has been remanded due to new evidence being associated with the claims file. The Appellant will be provided a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) and given an opportunity to respond.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent effective April 10, 2019. The rating remains granted for the period from December 15, 2011 to July 23, 2013 and from August 25, 2017 onwards.

The appeal for a higher disability rating for calluses of both feet is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and further development. The Veteran's representative suggested extra-schedular consideration, which needs to be reviewed by VA's Director of Compensation Service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for left hip arthritis, status post replacement and granted it on a secondary basis to her service-connected knee and lumbar spine disabilities. The evidence supports that the Veteran's left hip condition is related to her service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues of extraschedular consideration and entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC). The claims for initial rating higher than 10 percent for right middle finger disability, right ring finger disability, right index finger disability, right thumb disability, and right little finger disability are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical examination regarding the Veteran's hand and foot symptoms, which he claims as peripheral arterial disease. The examiner is required to determine if these symptoms represent a diagnosable disability or functional impairment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right calf strains, finding that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable disability rating under Diagnostic Code 5311.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for neurological disorders of both upper extremities due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay testimony and VA treatment records. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether there is a 50% or greater probability that these conditions are related to service, including his reported symptoms during service.

The Board has granted accrued benefits for the period from May 1, 2013 to February 1, 2014 based on evidence that the Appellant used his personal funds to pay assisted living expenses for his deceased mother.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for a left eye disability, other than a cataract. The examiner did not provide an opinion on whether hepatitis C caused or aggravated the Veteran's left eye disability.

The Veteran's eligibility for internment in a VA national cemetery is granted as he was discharged from active duty due to a service-connected disability (Raynaud's phenomenon).

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU rating has been dismissed because the Veteran and their representative have requested to withdraw the appeal.

The Veteran's right hip bursitis is rated at 10 percent since February 19, 2019 for limitation of extension. A separate rating for limitation of flexion was not granted as the evidence did not show functional impairment to that extent.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's empyema was caused by VA's failure to diagnose pneumonia and/or empyema during his treatment in December 2008 and January 2009.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to environmental and chemical exposures during her service at Fort McClellan, which may be related to her colon cancer. The claim will be reconsidered after verifying these exposures and obtaining a medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims for initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for varicose veins in both lower extremities due to new evidence suggesting an increase in severity since the last examination. The Veteran is also seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus and hypertension.