Other conditions decisions — 2022

The Veteran's urinary disability, including benign prostatic hyperplasia and pelvic floor dysfunction, is considered to have started during service and has continued since then. The Board found that there was a link between the Veteran's condition and his military service.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for VA death pension benefits due to her divorce from the Veteran, which was not valid under VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for dependency benefits for his child, A.D.T., is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for dependency benefits for his child, S.N.T., is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for additional VA compensation based on recognition of his child, R.M.T., as a dependent for VA purposes is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for additional VA compensation based on recognition of his child, S.M.T., as a dependent for VA purposes is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right 5th metatarsal fracture is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records to be considered.

The Board has ordered a remand to reconcile the record regarding the overpayment of VA compensation benefits due to concurrent receipt of drill pay in FY 2016, including accounting for all drill pay received and determining the Veteran's overpayment. The Veteran will have an opportunity to provide additional information.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for service connection for HIV, and the Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to service connection for a right eye disability, and also withdrew his Board hearing request. As a result, the claim is dismissed.

The Board has found that the VA examinations provided were not adequate and requires additional opinions to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for basal cell carcinoma. The examination reports did not adequately consider all theories of entitlement, including exposure to chemicals and sunlight.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of February 22, 2010 for the award of a TDIU rating. However, the case is remanded to consider whether the Veteran was unemployable by reason of service-connected disabilities prior to this date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for gout and has remanded his claims for increased ratings for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's stomach condition is now rated at 30 percent effective July 23, 2018. The Board found that the symptoms of substernal or arm or shoulder pain and dysphagia were present since July 23, 2018, warranting a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left pneumothorax are currently stable, but the respiratory impairment is due to nonservice-connected COPD. As a result, higher disability ratings for these conditions are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for muscle pain, joint pain, and gastrointestinal symptoms is remanded due to the need for a comprehensive examination and proper medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an enlarged thoracic aortic aneurysm has been dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing his appeal and request for hearing.

The Board denied compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a chronic abdominal pain and diarrhea disability, finding that there was no evidence to support the claim.

The Veteran's left ring finger amputation is rated at 10 percent, but not higher.,The Veteran's left middle (long) finger disability has been granted a noncompensable rating.

The Board denied retroactive induction into a VA Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program for education expenses incurred by the Veteran in pursuing her master's degree in architecture at an Italian university. The decision found that the training was not reasonably needed to achieve her goals, given the availability of programs within the United States.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a bilateral eye disability, including as due to herbicide agent exposure and/or secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The case is being returned for further development.

The Board has found the VA examinations inadequate and remanded for further evaluations of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, specifically his residuals of fracture of left radius and ulna, left arm impairment of supination and pronation, and left forearm limitation of flexion.

The Veteran's right hip strain has worsened since his last VA examination in February 2017. The Board finds a remand is needed to determine the current severity of his condition.