Other conditions decisions — 2022

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lower extremity neurological disability, an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability, and an increased rating for his right knee disability. The claim for an increased rating for IBS was also denied.

The Veteran's gastrointestinal disability, including ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, and Crohn's disease, began during active duty service. The Board granted service connection for these conditions.

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

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a deviated septum, finding that it is a congenital defect and his superimposed disabilities are already service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's left hip disability and his service-connected left knee disability, as well as whether it is related to active duty service. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left eye injury due to surgery while in service, finding that it is not clear and unmistakable that his preexisting condition was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's legal blindness in both eyes is denied as the evidence does not show that VA medical treatment caused his disability.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied because he failed to complete the necessary VA Form 21-8940 and provide sufficient information about his employment status.

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

The Board denied service connection for congenital hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, finding that the condition clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for additional medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pre-existing deviated nasal septum condition was more disabling in service than upon entry into service, and if so, whether this increase is due to natural progression.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to provide proper notice of a December 2020 supplemental statement of the case. The appellant is asked to respond to this notice at her current address.

The Board has determined that the matter is not ripe for appellate review due to procedural issues and remands the case for full compliance with contested claims procedures.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, both of which are not on the list of diseases presumptively linked to exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran contends that these conditions were caused by in-service sun exposure. A new VA medical opinion is needed to address whether the conditions are related to this claimed in-service sun exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's lower back pain is related to service, specifically the August 1969 helicopter crash. A VA examination is needed to determine if there is a relationship between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's skin disabilities, including squamous cell carcinoma. The case is also being remanded for VA to obtain relevant treatment records and provide an updated opinion on whether any current skin disability is related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic neurological disability, manifested as numbness and tingling, to include as secondary to service-connected traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or as due to herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran also had his TBI rating remanded for further consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including nerve damage of the upper extremities, PTSD with TBI residuals, left ear hearing loss, rhinitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and urticaria, were all denied by the Board. The decision found no current diagnosis of a nerve condition in either upper extremity or any other claimed disability.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of leukemia due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The Board also granted service connection for leukemia as it is related to the Veteran's active duty service.