Other conditions decisions — 2022

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for a right lower extremity disability, claimed as swelling and pain. The issue of entitlement to service connection is remanded due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the claims for an increased rating for post-operative changes of the right distal tibia and fibula with posttraumatic arthritis, as well as the claim for a TDIU. The reasons are that there is conflicting information regarding whether the Veteran had ankylosis of the right ankle, and the AOJ failed to document its attempts to contact the Veteran.

The Veteran's status post stress fracture with recurrent shin splint of both the left and right lower extremities are currently rated at 10 percent each, effective June 26, 2014. The Board has determined that their current evaluations do not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board determined that the Servicemember had no qualifying service in the United States Armed Forces, and therefore is not eligible for VA benefits.

The Veteran's service-connected other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder is rated at 30 percent, but no higher, for the entire period on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete employment information provided by the Veteran. The Veteran is asked to provide a completed VA Form 21-8940 with all relevant employment history, including previous jobs and current employment, as well as proof of annual salary.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's current diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus and the relationship between his service exposure to radiation and his condition. The Veteran is required to provide updated medical records, including laboratory test results from January 2012, and a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether any dental disability is related to in-service trauma or disease. The Veteran's claim for service connection remains pending.

The Veteran's effective date for recognition of his current spouse, D.A.L., as his dependent for the purpose of additional dependency compensation is granted to March 31, 2015.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied. The earliest date that it is factually ascertainable that the Veteran was unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disability is July 11, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of left ankle sprain, finding that the Veteran's current peroneus brevis tenosynovitis is related to a left ankle injury during INACDUTRA in August 2016.

The Veteran seeks educational assistance benefits for on-the-job training he received from September 2014 to September 2016. The Board has determined that the effective date of the award should be confirmed and remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for cardiomyopathy as a new and material condition, finding that the etiology of the Veteran's cardiomyopathy was inconclusive at the time of his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's venereal disease, including herpes, is at least as likely as not related to active service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Board has remanded the cases of meatal stenosis and BXO for further examination to determine their etiology and whether they are related to service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to non-compliance with previous remand directives. The VA will obtain an opinion from a qualified medical professional regarding the etiology of the Veteran's colon cancer and its relation to service, specifically herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for dental disabilities due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's service in the DMZ does not qualify for presumed exposure to herbicide agents. However, his benign granular cell tumors are not presumptively linked to such exposure. The case is remanded as there remains an open question regarding whether the Veteran's condition may be related to exposure to defoliants.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Board denied DIC benefits based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to pulmonary fibrosis, finding that there was no evidence linking it to his active duty.