Other conditions decisions — 2022

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a perforated left ear drum and residuals of a fractured rib, finding no evidence to support the Veteran's claims.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that the Veteran's personality disorder is not a compensable condition and there are no other superimposed acquired psychiatric disabilities. The claim was dismissed as the diagnosis of personality disorder does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for payment of nonservice-connected (NSC) pension benefits prior to January 1, 2017 due to his household income exceeding the applicable maximum annual pension rates (MAPRs). The appeal is remanded to obtain verification of the Veteran's and his wife's Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits payments for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for intermittent atrial fibrillation prior to November 14, 2021 and in excess of 10 percent thereafter was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code (DC) 7010.

The appeal is dismissed because the appellant passed away during the pendency of the appeal and there are no provisions for substitution in this case.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's testicular cancer and its residuals. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether the condition is related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's recurrent brain tumors are related to service-connected traumatic brain injury. The VA needs to conduct a new examination and provide updated medical opinions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for dental trauma and treatment purposes due to a lack of individual traumatic injuries, concluding that his chipped top front teeth are related to malocclusion.

The Veteran's TDIU is granted for the period prior to July 19, 2010 based on his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the appellant's claim as the surviving spouse for VA death benefits because she and the Veteran did not live with the Veteran continuously until his death in 2016, due to reasons that were not solely due to misconduct of the Veteran.

The Board denied the appellant's claim as she was not recognized as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for purposes of eligibility for VA death benefits due to her divorce from the Veteran being finalized many years before his death and lack of subsequent cohabitation.

The Veteran's altered body image, lack of proper rehabilitation, changed voice, aortic stenosis, and/or bypass surgery are not considered to be caused by VA treatment or carelessness, negligence, error in judgment, or similar instance on the part of VA. The Board finds that these conditions were not proximately caused by VA clinicians' improper treatment.

The Board has determined that the procedural steps necessary to ensure the rights of all parties have not been completed as directed by the May 2021 Board remand. The case is being returned for further development and readjudication.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional development regarding the Veteran's exposure to asbestos during service and its potential connection to his fatal pancreatic cancer.

The Veteran's left leg distal fibula fracture is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The appeal for TDIU and SMC prior to March 2, 2020 was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's colon cancer is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and a need for further evaluation of bone loss related to TMJ dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the waiver request due to conflicting information regarding the Veteran's financial status.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left and right eye disabilities due to a lack of VA examination, despite the Veteran's testimony. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether the current diagnosed eye disabilities are related to service exposure.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection due to the PACT Act. The Board finds that there is insufficient evidence for a grant of service connection for chronic prostatitis and benign prostatic hypertrophy, as remanded.