Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Veteran's adult child, J.B., is seeking recognition as the helpless child of the Veteran due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to reaching age 18. The case has been remanded to obtain Social Security Administration records and medical records from Maxwell Air Force Base Hospital.

The claim for service connection for a neck disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinion regarding its etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's fatal cardiovascular disabilities are related to his military service, specifically his role as a fuel specialist and exposure to jet fuel.

The Board has determined that the overpayment of VA pension benefits in the amount of $30,259.80 is not valid due to sole administrative error by the RO and thus the waiver of recovery claim is moot.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, as high grade astrocytoma (brain cancer) and a disorder manifested by neurobehavioral effects.

The Board has granted service connection for a left hand disability and a right hand disability, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his active duty service as a surgeon.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and adjudication, including a determination of service connection for hammer toe of the left foot second toe. The temporary total evaluation issue is also being remanded due to its inextricability with the service connection claim.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial evaluation for her groin strain is being remanded due to inadequate prior examinations and the need for new evaluations addressing current symptoms, low back involvement, and lower extremity involvement.

The Board has decided to remand several issues for further development and consideration. These include service connection claims for right long finger disability, left middle finger arthritis, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and TDIU.

The Veteran's urinary disorder, diagnosed as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), was not incurred or aggravated during his service. The Board found no evidence linking the condition to any period of active duty and concluded that it is unrelated to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are rated at 100 percent, qualifying him for outpatient VA dental treatment.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bladder disability due to inadequate opinions and need for further examination.

The Board dismissed the appeal regarding the effective date of the Veteran's previous dependency allowance award for his spouse R.R. because the AOJ retroactively terminated the award based on a finding of clear and unmistakable error.

The Board denied service connection for follicular non-hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) as a result of exposure to herbicides and ionization radiation, finding that the appellant did not have active duty during the claimed periods and thus was not entitled to veteran status.

The Board denied service connection for ventricular arrhythmia, finding that the evidence does not support a link to military service or any other condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and need for further development regarding the Veteran's Chiari malformation, type I.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his left hip, ankle, knee, and inguinal hernia disabilities has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating criteria.,Specifically, the Veteran's flexion of the left hip was limited to 50 degrees prior to February 23, 2021, and to 45 degrees thereafter, which does not warrant a compensable rating. His extension was also found to be limited to 15 degrees, which is below the threshold for a compensable rating under DC 5251.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for a back condition is granted. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for the back condition and secondary service connection for the right knee condition.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to fulfill VA's duty to assist, as the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for shingles requires further examination and medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the Appellant's discharge was upgraded to honorable by the Board for the Correction of Naval Records, thus removing any bar to VA benefits.