Other conditions decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to unclear diagnoses and conflicting opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a respiratory condition, gastrointestinal disability, fatigue, and lightheadedness, all of which he contends are related to his Gulf War service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip disorder is denied.,A rating of 40 percent for service-connected lumbar strain is granted effective as of March 23, 2012.

The Veteran's left hand disability is being remanded for additional examinations to assess the current severity and nature of his condition, including any new symptoms like Dupuytren's contracture.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives regarding a vocational rehabilitation evaluation. The Veteran needs to be provided with an evaluation that addresses his current limitations and ability to obtain suitable employment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral eye disability is related to his active duty service. A VA examination is needed to determine if there is a link between the Veteran's in-service exposure and his current condition.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the Appellant died before a decision was made, and therefore has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claim.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no jurisdiction remains for further action.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the addition of his spouse to his award as a dependent was denied because there is no evidence in the claims file that he submitted any written claim or statement for additional dependency compensation prior to June 15, 2015.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left foot conditions, finding that there is no current diagnosis of a separate right or left foot disability other than the already service-connected lower extremity disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left unguus incarnatum.

The Board found that the interruption and discontinuance of the Veteran's VR&E benefits were proper due to his failure to maintain satisfactory conduct and cooperation, despite VA efforts to assist him.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's bilateral foot condition is related to his service, including whether it is aggravated by his left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand instructions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), finding that there was no evidence to support a direct link between his active service and AML, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents or aircraft emissions. The Board also found that presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure is not applicable as AML is not one of the specified diseases for which such presumption applies.

The Veteran's initial increased ratings for left hip and tibia stress fractures have been denied. The case is remanded due to issues with TDIU.

The Veteran's stepson, D.J., is not recognized as his dependent child for VA purposes due to failing to meet the criteria of being a stepchild who acquired that status before the age of 18 years and becoming permanently incapable of self-support prior to attaining the age of 18.

The Board recognized the appellant as the surviving spouse for purposes of establishing eligibility for VA benefits, given that she and the Veteran were married at the time of his death and lived apart by mutual consent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's character of discharge for the period from December 29, 2011 through February 14, 2014 does not constitute a bar to VA benefits. However, additional evidence is needed regarding his mental state at the time of misconduct.

The Veteran's medical expenses incurred at Oregon State Hospital from July 20, 2016 to September 22, 2016 were denied because the treatment was provided as a patient in an institution of another government agency (OHA) that had a duty to provide care.