Other conditions decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability and an earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits due to incomplete information regarding the Veteran's employment status.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to July 1, 2015 (excluding the period from January 7, 2014 to March 1, 2014), and thus his claim for a TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's service was not considered active duty, and he did not serve for 90 or more days during a wartime period. Therefore, the claim for nonservice-connected pension is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Peripheral Vascular Disease and Bilateral Hip Pain or any other non-service-connected bilateral lower extremity disability, to include as secondary to service-connected bilateral metatarsalgia with pes planus and/or service-connected bilateral knee osteoarthritis due to incomplete medical opinions and procedural issues.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is considered a direct service connection. The claim for death pension benefits was dismissed as moot since the greater benefit (DIC) has been awarded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination reports and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's skin condition is being reviewed again for service connection, with a focus on whether it is secondary to his service-connected pulmonary emboli with sleep apnea and sarcoidosis.

The Veteran's death benefits claim for surviving spouse recognition was denied because the appellant and the Veteran were legally divorced prior to the Veteran's death, and there is no evidence of a subsequent valid marriage.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination in determining service connection for a stomach condition. A new VA examination is needed to address the Veteran's contentions and medical evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected heart disability has caused impairment to his daily activities, but the Board finds that it is unclear whether this alone warrants SMC based on regular aid and attendance. The case is remanded for a medical opinion to clarify.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral varicoceles have worsened, and the Board finds that an examination is needed to determine the current severity of his disability.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of right superficial parotidectomy with facial nerve dissection, specifically addressing his claimed residuals and functional limitations.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal, effectively ending the case. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for neurological disorders of the upper and lower extremities, as they may be related to herbicide exposure during service. The AOJ is instructed to attempt verification of the Veteran's claimed exposures and schedule a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the appellant is entitled to recognition as a substitute party for her deceased father's pending appeal, but there are issues with how this decision was communicated and followed. The matter is being remanded to follow proper contested claims procedures.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's prostatic intraepithelial neoplasm (PIN) and whether it is related to his service, including his exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran was not provided with a VA examination or medical opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for dizziness and chest pain have been remanded by the Board.,No effective date prior to January 26, 2017 is possible for an award of a 50 percent rating for delusional disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further evaluation due to worsening of symptoms related to service-connected right hand excision of carpal boss and right middle finger arthritis. The Veteran will be provided with new examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions, including whether they may approximate functional ankylosis.

The Veteran's spouse, M.A., was granted an apportionment of the full VA disability compensation benefits not paid to the Veteran during his period of incarceration at issue for herself and their minor children.

The Veteran requested to withdraw their appeal for an increased rating for myocardial infarction, which the Board has now dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence presented at the hearing, requiring a new medical opinion on whether the Veteran's amputation of his right little finger was caused by VA carelessness or negligence.