Other conditions decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to a lack of substantial compliance with previous remand instructions regarding the Veteran's statements of pain and their relation to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's unreimbursed medical expenses and income calculations. The AOJ is instructed to prepare an audit of the Veteran's nonservice connected pension benefits based on new information.

The Veteran's left leg nerve damage is not proximately due to or the result of carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA in furnishing reasonable care. The claim for compensation pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1151 has been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of evidence regarding the etiology of left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction, which were diagnosed during the pendency of the claim. The VA examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to service or if they have been caused by a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for nodules on lungs due to exposure to asbestos is granted. The Board finds that a remand is necessary as there are insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lung condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for DESD, which he also claimed as dysuria, anal stricture, and tight sphincter, is granted because the evidence shows that his condition first manifested during service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities manifested by right or left leg pain, PTSD, migraine headaches, or lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis due to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus caused or aggravated his current BPH with polyuria disability. The case is now pending for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left carotid artery aneurysm, finding that it was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral hip disabilities.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant died during the pendency of the case, and therefore has no jurisdiction to decide the merits.

The Board is remanding the case due to incomplete information regarding the Veteran's dates of active service for fiscal year 2016. The VA needs to obtain this information from the Defense Manpower Data Center or other Federal records repository.

The Veteran's extensor tendon strain, right fifth (pinky) finger is not rated higher than noncompensable due to the lack of evidence showing more than limitation of motion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding whether gout is related to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's gout was diagnosed before his diabetes, but there are conflicting opinions on its relationship.

The Board has decided to remand the case for a VA examination regarding the appellant's claim for entitlement to helpless child benefits.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current conditions and in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The Board concluded that the Veteran's heart disabilities were more likely related to his non-service-connected COPD.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a low back disability and remanded it for further development. The claims for bilateral lower extremity neurologic disability and sinus disability are also remanded.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, and the Board dismissed it.

The Veteran's diagnosed myasthenia gravis is related to his military service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for epididymitis and epididymo-orchitis, but remanded the issue of service connection for prostatitis due to lack of a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically related to his service-connected hearing loss and its impact on his dementia or Alzheimer's disease.