Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for traumatic arthritis of both the right and left hips, finding that the Veteran's current hip disabilities are related to his in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's eye disabilities and their relation to his service in Vietnam. The case will be reviewed again with a focus on the PACT Act provisions for toxic exposure risk activities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for septic shock and ulcerative colitis as secondary to his service-connected PTSD or COPD, and also denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to various reasons including lack of entitlement to compensation at the 100% rate for a period of 10 years prior to death.

The Board has remanded the case due to a disagreement with the effective date of service connection for right rectus abdominis muscle atrophy. The parties agreed that the Board did not address whether the Veteran's reports of 'burning sensation in abdomen' could be understood as seeking benefits for an abdominal muscle injury, and if so, whether a claim for service connection for duodenal ulcer also encompassed a claim for service connection for an abdominal muscle injury.

The Veteran is seeking payment for additional dependency benefits for his child and spouse from November 2013 to December 2016. The Board has determined that the amount paid was not correct and has ordered a remand to properly calculate and determine the appropriate compensation.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to outstanding VA treatment records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a neurological disorder and an increased rating for his left foot tendonitis.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hand disabilities and right foot gout due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's service records do not show any complaints or diagnoses related to his current conditions, but he asserts they are related to military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a neck condition, finding that the Veteran's current disability is more likely related to his military duties as an aircraft support mechanic and heavy lifting during active service than to any in-service injury or disease.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for right and left flatfoot disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions. The issues of service connection for lumbar spine disability are also inextricably intertwined with these flatfoot claims.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate compliance with previous instructions. Specifically, a new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's thoracic kyphosis.

The Board has granted a Total Disability Rating for Compensation Purposes Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) effective as of August 15, 2014. The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date is dismissed.

The Board has decided that the Veteran is not competent to handle disbursement of VA funds and has ordered a remand for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS), a variant of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), is granted as it meets the criteria for presumptive service connection due to continuous active service and no evidence of willful misconduct.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal regarding their competency to handle VA funds, as they are currently rated as competent.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of November 12, 2019, for the grant of service connection for right lateral collateral ligament sprain is granted. The issue of entitlement to a rating greater than 10 percent for right lateral collateral ligament sprain is remanded due to inadequate VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of gastric ulcer, gallstone pancreatitis, and cholecystitis are related to his active service. The evidence is in approximate balance as to whether these conditions originated during service.

The Veteran's claim for an extension of Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits beyond the December 27, 2019 delimiting date was denied as there were no circumstances that allowed for such an extension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for anaphylactic reaction to bee stings, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic disability and concluding that the current condition is not related to active service.

The Board has granted the appellant's claim for service connection for cause of death, and as a result, the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected seborrhea with actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma was found to affect more than 40 percent of his entire body, warranting a 60% disability rating.