Other conditions decisions — 2021

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The Veteran's appeal for payment or reimbursement of nursing home care costs is dismissed due to his death, as the benefits are not periodic and do not qualify as accrued benefits.

The Veteran was granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for saphenous nerve damage of the right leg, which resulted from a second surgery provided by VA to correct problems with a first surgery that used a screw that was too long.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma due to insufficient rationale in the March 2020 VA opinion and new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's right eye injury is rated at 30 percent, the highest available rating under current criteria. The condition causes pain and episodic incapacity requiring rest.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right hip disorders, as secondary to a service-connected disability. The case is returned for further development.

The Veteran's service connection claim for status post bladder carcinoma is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure, as the disease has been added to the list of diseases presumed service-connected in veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

The Board has granted service connection for dysautonomia, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during his service at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand is presumed and that there is a reasonable possibility of causation.

The Veteran's residuals from surgery to expose the left brachial artery and resulting complication involving the left median nerve were not found to be due to VA carelessness, negligence, or lack of proper skill. The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left forearm injury, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to an in-service event or injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic prostatitis, including as due to in-service exposure to an herbicide agent (Agent Orange), finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to active service or any incident of service, including presumed Agent Orange exposure. The VA clinician's opinion supported this conclusion.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the Veteran's trichuriasis and right tonsil carcinoma. The issues of service connection for arterial hypertension have also been remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is at least as likely as not related to exposure to contaminants at Camp Lejeune. The original examination did not use the correct standard of probability.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for partial amputations of his right index and long fingers were changed due to a finding of clear and unmistakable error, resulting in an increased rating. The case is now remanded for a hearing regarding the assigned disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's scrotal pruritis.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to May 7, 2010 has been dismissed because the appellant died in December 2021.

The Veteran's cause of death was caused by his in-service herbicide exposure, and the Board has granted service connection for this cause of death. The issue of DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is moot as a result.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected.,The Appellant is not eligible for non-service-connected death pension benefits.

The Board has determined that the procedural steps for a simultaneously contested claim have not been completed, and thus remands the case to ensure full compliance with the required procedures.

The Board denied service connection for cerebrovascular accident/hypertensive encephalopathy, claimed as TBI, and denied entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD. The claim for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance was also denied.