Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for chronic muscle spasms in the left chest secondary to emphysema, effective November 19, 2012.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to additional procedural development being required, including issuing a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) that addresses all evidence received since an October 2020 SSOC.

The Veteran's stomach cancer, status postgastrectomy, is granted presumptively under the PACT Act. Service connection for post gastrectomy syndrome and a scar secondary to stomach cancer are also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral heel spurs and a bilateral shin disability, to include shin splints and arthritis. The Veteran's claims are supported by his competent statements of continuity of symptoms since service.

The appeal is dismissed because the appellant died during the pendency of this appeal. The issue of SMC at the K level for loss of use of the left lower extremity was remanded back to the Board and is pending.

The Veteran's right fifth finger disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his condition, and for assistance in obtaining any relevant private treatment records. The issue of entitlement to TDIU has also been added due to its connection with the right fifth finger rating claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal for further development to ensure that VA fulfilled its duty to assist in obtaining private treatment records from Dr. R.P., and to obtain an adequate VA examination addressing symptoms of reflux nephropathy throughout the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete financial information and unclear status of D.R. as a minor child pursuing education after turning 18 years old.

The Veteran's initial ratings for right hip strain with arthritis and bursitis (limitation of extension) and (impairment of the thigh, limitation of adduction/abduction) have been granted. The rating for limitation of flexion remains denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of broken teeth, right orbit contusion, and left middle finger injury as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied the claim for accrued benefits as there were no accrued benefits at the time of the Veteran's death, and the Appellant did not meet the requirements to be reimbursed for expenses related to her mother's last sickness and burial.

The Board denied service connection for a left ring finger disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and active service.

The Board found the reduction in VA compensation benefits by $1,402.50 to offset the concurrent receipt of military drill pay for 33 days in FY 2016 was proper and granted this portion of the overpayment appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate January 2013 VA examination report, and a new VA opinion is needed that considers the Veteran's January 2018 CT scan.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for allergic conjunctivitis, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disability in service and no link between current symptoms and service. The Board also found that the Veteran did not provide competent medical evidence to support his claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin disorder is at least as likely as not related to her active-duty service, and thus grants service connection for a skin disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing VA treatment records from VAMC Allen Park. The appellant must provide these records for further review.

The Veteran's early discharge due to an 'early out' program is recognized, allowing them to meet the eligibility criteria for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to uncertainty regarding the number of drill days performed in FY 2015 and the need for verification of all pay received during that fiscal year. The Veteran's VA compensation benefits were retroactively adjusted based on the number of days he was receiving drill pay, but it is unclear whether this adjustment was correct.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between the condition and his military service or exposure to herbicides.