Other conditions decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum VA medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's Crohn's disease had its onset during service or is otherwise etiologically related to such service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inconsistencies in the VA examination report and the need for additional service dental records. The Veteran's jaw condition, including TMJ, will be evaluated by a new VA dental examiner.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to review the complete service personnel records, including the Servicemember's attempt to upgrade his discharge. Additionally, a medical opinion is needed regarding whether the Servicemember was insane at the time of misconduct.

The Veteran's surgery on June 18, 2018 at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center was covered by VA as it met the criteria for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary due to the lack of compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to insufficient evidence linking his fatal conditions (hypoxemic respiratory failure, pulmonary fibrosis, and viral pneumonia) to exposure to Agent Orange during service. The Board also denied DIC benefits as the Veteran did not meet the criteria for receiving such benefits.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an earlier effective date for adding the appellant as a dependent spouse of the Veteran, finding no pending claim at the time of the Veteran's death and no basis in law to request such.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) is being remanded due to incomplete documentation of his employment history.

The Board has granted service connection for ageusia, finding it a qualifying chronic disability under the provisions of the PACT Act and that its etiology is partially understood.

The Veteran's Osgood Schlatter's disease with degenerative joint disease of the right knee and left knee were rated at 20 percent prior to January 19, 2022. From January 19, 2022, the rating was increased to 30 percent for the right knee only.

The Veteran's appeal for a gastrointestinal disability, which is secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder, has been dismissed due to his failure without adequate reason to respond to an order for VA examination within one year of the request.

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

The Veteran's representative withdrew the appeals for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) and entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. As these issues have been withdrawn, the Board does not have jurisdiction to review them.

The Board has not found a connection between the Veteran's BPH and his service-connected conditions or herbicide exposure. The case is being remanded to obtain an opinion on whether BPH may be related to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye disability, including dry eye syndrome and meibomian gland dysfunction. The remand requires additional development to address the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to report for an examination. The case will be scheduled again for a VA examination and then readjudicated.

The Veteran's cause of death has been granted service connection, rendering the DIC claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 moot.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's gynecological and/or menstrual disorder, including endometriosis, hysterectomy, and bilateral oophorectomy, is directly related to service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board found that the overpayment of VA compensation benefits was properly created due to a retroactive reduction in the compensation rate to the 10 percent rate while the Veteran was incarcerated following conviction of a felony. The appeal is denied.

The Board has remanded several claims related to the Veteran's right foot disabilities, including service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for partial amputations of his feet. The decision also includes a request for additional VA and private treatment records.