Other conditions decisions — 2022

The Veteran's surviving spouse, M. R., was not entitled to VA DIC benefits for the month of May 2016 because she died during that month and thus there were no accrued benefits due at her death.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no jurisdiction remains for further action.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining the April 2017 Goldmann chart and providing an addendum medical opinion regarding the etiology of his left eye ptosis.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no final decision can be made.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right eye injury causing numerous retina detachments. The Veteran needs to provide updated VA and private medical records, and an addendum opinion from a qualified healthcare provider is required.

The Board has granted DIC benefits based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his fatal CML was caused by exposure to herbicide agents during service. The claim is supported by two private medical opinions and contradicted by a VA medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin condition and TDIU prior to April 24, 2019 due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his skin condition. The issues are inextricably intertwined as the grant of service connection could affect the TDIU claim.

The Veteran seeks retroactive induction into a VR&E program for the reimbursement of expenses associated with pursuing medical school training outside of the United States. The AOJ is instructed to obtain missing CWINRS notes and provide them to the Veteran and his attorney, along with a SSOC addressing any additional evidence added since the October 2018 SOC.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for gout of the right and left feet, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Board has denied an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected right fourth and fifth finger disability, finding that the Veteran's pain and limited motion do not warrant a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's left hand fracture residuals were granted a 10 percent rating prior to January 20, 2022. From January 20, 2022, the Veteran is denied increased ratings for his left thumb pain and other finger pains.,For the period from January 20, 2022, the Veteran's left ring finger and little finger pain do not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's narcolepsy. The service connection claim for bilateral hip disorder remains denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of abrasions from the right ear down to the jawbone is granted as his current condition resulted from an in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Veteran's accrued benefits claim was denied because the appellant did not establish she was the surviving spouse for accrued benefits or entitled to reimbursement for expenses related to the veteran's last illness and/or burial. The nonservice connected pension claim was also denied due to excessive income.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an eye disability, including macular degeneration as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The evidence did not show a current diagnosis of an eye disability.

The Board is unclear about how the overpayment debt was calculated and has ordered a remand to provide a clear accounting. The Veteran's request for waiver of recovery of the overpayment will also be referred to the Committee on Waivers and Compromises.

The Board denied service connection for anemia, finding that the evidence did not support a direct or secondary relationship to service. The Veteran's anemia was first diagnosed in 2014, over 40 years after separation from service.,Service connection for right index trigger finger was also denied as there is no credible evidence linking it to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's incomplete ulnar and median nerve paralysis of the upper extremities is rated at 40 percent effective July 8, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a prostate condition, bilateral hand and thumb condition, and sinus disorder have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's eye disorder, including cataracts and dry eye syndrome, is not related to his active service. The evidence does not support a finding that any current eye disorder was due to his active service.