Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Appellant was insane at the time of his discharge, as defined by VA regulations. The case will be reconsidered based on this new information.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral keratoconus, moderate dry eye with superficial punctate keratitis following LASIK, and left eye posterior vitreous detachment due to inadequate examination and incomplete medical records.

The Veteran's appeal to have an earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits is dismissed as he opted into the Appeals Modernization Act system.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's atrial fibrillation, including whether it is related to service or caused by his PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for restless leg syndrome of both legs due to potential secondary service connection with his service-connected back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. An addendum VA medical opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran's restless leg syndrome is proximately due to or aggravated by these conditions.

The Veteran's child, J., was granted additional dependency benefits based on his full-time school attendance from January 1, 2015 to May 31, 2017. The decision is based on the continuous enrollment of J. in college during this period.

The Board denied accrued benefits as the unreimbursed medical expenses claimed by the Veteran for home health aide services could not form the basis for an award of accrued benefits due to potential duplication with a previous claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his claimed chronic respiratory disability and lung mass, as these conditions are presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hammertoes are related to her service-connected conditions or if they were aggravated by them. The VA needs to obtain a new opinion from a medical professional.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the addition of his spouse and stepchild as dependents was denied because the claims were not filed within a year of their respective marriages.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding relevant records not being associated with the claims file. The appellant's representative provided an updated VA Form 21-4192 indicating loss of part-time employment, but it was not considered in the first instance. The AOJ is required to obtain and associate these records before readjudicating the TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining a new medical opinion regarding the Appellant's mental state at the time of misconduct leading to his discharge.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a pulmonary disability and an eye disability, finding insufficient evidence to link these conditions to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to additional VA and Veteran-submitted evidence being added to the file, which requires further consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right hip replacement as secondary to his service-connected left hip avascular necrosis, postoperative total hip replacement.

The Board denied service connection for endocrine dysfunction, finding no current diagnosis and insufficient evidence to link the condition to service.

The Board found that the overpayment of VA compensation benefits was properly created and is a valid debt, as the Veteran did not timely notify VA of his divorce from his spouse and subsequent marriage to another individual.

The Board has granted initial ratings of 20 percent for bilateral ankle Achilles tendonitis, effective November 9, 2015.

The Board has remanded the cases of upper respiratory disability and left forearm disability for further development, including obtaining supplemental medical opinions to address continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for laryngeal cancer is granted due to exposure to fine particulate matter during his deployment in Southwest Asia. The condition is presumed to be related to service.