Other conditions decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and needs an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's eye disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for numbness of the face, left hand, right foot, and left foot as there is no current diagnosis or functional impairment.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate examination in August 2020, and requests that an addendum opinion be obtained concerning whether the Veteran's current eye disorder(s) other than left homonymous hemianopsia is/are causally related to her service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA etiology opinion and failure to comply with previous remand directives. The Veteran's heart disorder, claimed as congenital bicuspid aortic valve with aortic stenosis/insufficiency, is now subject to further examination and evaluation.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's exostosis of the right foot, finding that his symptoms are severe and warrant this higher rating. The Veteran does not have actual loss of use of the foot, which would require a 40 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed due to their death, and the case cannot be adjudicated further.

The Veteran's non-VA medical expenses for December 21, 2016, January 4, 2017, and January 11, 2017 at Essentia Health are granted as the treatment was related to an adjudicated service-connected disability (peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities with carpal tunnel syndrome) and delay in seeking care would have been hazardous.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for hypersomnolence disorder and bilateral shin splints due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development related to the September 2019 CBC test results from Quest Diagnostics in Edina, Minnesota. The rating for malignant thymoma and baroreflex failure are also being remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant requested to withdraw it.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating of his left foot disability is denied. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to May 15, 2017 is remanded due to the need for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of a fracture of the right tibia and residuals of a stress fracture of the distal left tibia, as well as residuals of bilateral stress fractures of the second and third metatarsals. The VA is required to obtain examinations that comply with the requirements set forth in this decision.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected right knee disability is remanded due to the current rating of 20% not meeting his claimed level of disability. The issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to September 17, 2020, on an extraschedular basis, has also been remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right elbow disability, finding that there is no current diagnosed right elbow disability at any point during the period on appeal or from March 2012. The evidence showed normal x-rays and no functional impairment in earning capacity.

The Veteran's service-connected left foot disabilities, including hallux rigidus and metatarsalgia with traumatic arthritis of the left great toe, are manifested by severe symptoms equivalent to amputation. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for diverticulosis and hernia, finding that the evidence is in approximate balance as to whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal before a decision was made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for carcinoma of the larynx is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his service in Thailand, specifically near air base perimeters where he worked as an aircraft maintenance specialist.

The petition to reopen the previously denied service connection claim for a back strain is granted.,The petition to reopen the previously denied service connection claim for muscle spasms is denied.

The Veteran's major neurocognitive disorder is related to toxic exposure during his service in Southwest Asia, specifically the Gulf War. The Board finds that this condition is due to a combination of factors including toxic exposure and Alzheimer's disease.