Other conditions decisions — 2021

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bladder condition, including interstitial cystitis, is not related to her active duty service. However, due to inadequate medical opinion and new theories of entitlement raised by the record, the case must be remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot gout and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right foot disability prior to June 14, 2011. The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of bilateral foot gout or a link between the claimed conditions and service.

The Veteran's sensory impairment in the right lower extremity is rated at 40 percent, effective February 2015.,For the period prior to November 18, 2019, the Veteran's right upper extremity sensory deficit was rated at 10 percent. After that date, it has been rated at 30 percent.

The Board has granted increased ratings of 20 percent for the Veteran's bilateral femoral nerve disabilities, RLE and LLE. The Veteran’s disability is rated under a direct service connection theory.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives regarding service connection for a lung disorder, including chronic pneumonia. Another remand is required.

The Board has granted service connection for an undiagnosed chronic respiratory disability, manifested by shortness of breath. The condition is presumed to have been caused by the Veteran's military service in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's psoriatic arthritis was previously rated at 40 percent, effective October 29, 2012. The VA reduced the rating to 10 percent in October 2014 but found that the condition had not improved under ordinary conditions of life and work. The Board restored the 40 percent rating as it was determined that the Veteran's disability has not improved.

The Board has decided to remand the issue of entitlement to additional dependency compensation for Amber, Brittany, and Brandy due to unclear records regarding their receipt of Chapter 35 educational benefits. The Veteran was previously granted benefits in August 2011 but they were removed after each child reached age 18.

The appellant's appeal to establish the timeliness of her NOD regarding a September 2014 rating decision awarding accrued benefits is granted. The Board finds that the appellant submitted new and material evidence within one year of receiving notification of the original decision, thus making her June 2014 claim for accrued benefits pending. As such, her August 30, 2016 NOD regarding the amount of accrued benefits awarded in September 2014 is deemed timely.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and failure to consider all theories of entitlement, including secondary service connection for trigeminal neuralgia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a new VA examination and medical opinion to determine if his left hand and finger arthritis is related to service, despite previous findings of no current disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the skin due to periods of prolonged sun exposure has been granted and is therefore dismissed. The lung disability claim is remanded.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The appeal regarding a referral for an extraschedular rating for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further action regarding the propriety of creating an overpayment and the claim for waiver of recovery of the overpayment.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's thrombophlebitis of lower extremities is aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability and treatment, including surgery.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for idiopathic thrombocarpic purpura, including as due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and increased ratings is dismissed due to their death.

The Veteran's facial scars are related to in-service exposure to herbicides, specifically Agent Orange. The Board granted service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the left cheek and basal cell carcinoma of the right nasolabial crease and left upper lip.

The Veteran's cause of death, metastatic cancer, is found to be related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange). As a result, service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death is granted.