Other conditions decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical opinions and inextricably intertwined issues. The claims for service connection, cause of death, and special monthly compensation are being addressed.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease, L4-5 status post-laminectomy, finding that the Veteran's current disability is related to in-service back injuries and complaints of low back pain. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for readjudication of the initial compensable rating for residuals of stress fracture, left tibia under the new rating criteria. The service connection claim for chronic urinary tract infections remains denied.

The Veteran's hip disabilities, as residuals of a pelvic fracture, are currently rated at 10 percent each for limitation of flexion. The Board found no evidence warranting higher ratings based on the current Diagnostic Codes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an eye disability other than cataracts and/or pseudophakia, to include allergic conjunctivitis, was granted. The claims for service connection for a colon disability and right eye cataract were remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination, and a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current left foot and toenail disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to October 13, 2007 on an extraschedular basis. The Board dismissed this issue as it was withdrawn by the appellant.

The Veteran's unauthorized non-VA medical expenses incurred for treatment at Mayo Clinic from February 10, 2016 to February 11, 2016 are denied as the care did not meet the criteria for payment or reimbursement under VA regulations.

The Board denied service connection for a lower gastrointestinal bleed, finding that the evidence did not support a link to service or secondary to any service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right foot and left foot numbness, as well as the issue of disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is seeking VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his symptoms.

The Veteran's panic disorder with agoraphobia is granted at a 70 percent rating from April 4, 2011 to July 11, 2018. From March 3, 2012, the Veteran is granted TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected residual scars due to basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis of the head, face, and neck are not rated higher than 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, so his TDIU claim is denied.

The Board denied service connection for a prostate disorder and a left leg disorder, finding that the disorders were not incurred in or related to service, including as due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate examinations and incomplete records. The Veteran is required to undergo new VA examinations for his sleep disorder, frequent urination disability, and gastrointestinal condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for chronic sinus disability, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder due to new evidence received since the last final decision. The Veteran's representative is advised to consider withdrawing these claims if they no longer wish to pursue them.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no jurisdiction remains for the Board to adjudicate the merits of the case.

The Veteran's syncope is granted as service connected, with all reasonable doubt resolved in his favor. The claim to reopen the previously denied motion sickness with loss of consciousness (claimed as loss of consciousness) was also granted.

The Board denied service connection for cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the cancer and exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of SSA disability records, which may contain relevant information.