Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for Lyme disease.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to assess the Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and an opinion regarding whether there are any current skin disorders related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left arm disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability present in service or related to service. The Board also found no evidence linking the condition to any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to the need for further development and examination. The issues include left upper extremity disability (neuropathy/neuritis/carpal tunnel syndrome) and left lower extremity disability (neuropathy/neuritis).

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete service records related to the Veteran's reserve service. The RO is instructed to attempt to obtain these records and provide them in the electronic claims file.

The Board has remanded the claim for a bilateral hip disorder due to insufficient rationale in previous opinions and the need for additional development, including obtaining private and VA treatment records.

The Veteran's child, R., was added as a dependent to her VA disability compensation award effective March 27, 2015.

The Board finds that additional development is needed prior to final adjudication of the issue on appeal, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling new VA examinations. The Veteran's service connection claim for a left leg disability, including leg amputation, lack of blood flow and oxygen, lymphadenitis, and/or cellulitis, is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right elbow lateral and medial epicondylitis and right cubital tunnel ulnar nerve impingement, finding that these conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information about the Veteran's service periods and a need for an updated medical opinion regarding his syncope episodes. The opinion should consider whether these symptoms are related to presumed exposure to fine, particulate matter or other toxic risk activities during his service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hand tremors, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate disorder, including BPH, finding that there was no evidence of a direct relationship to his active service or herbicide exposure. The condition did not manifest during service and is not related to any in-service injury or disease.

The Board has restored the Veteran's appeal and is now remanding it for further readjudication due to a procedural issue with the DMC decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date prior to April 1, 2017, for establishing his spouse and stepson as dependents for dependency allowance purposes. The decision states that VA did not receive notice of the marriage until March 20, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for bilateral dry eye syndrome is denied because the effective date for the secondary condition (bilateral dry eye syndrome) cannot be earlier than the effective date of the primary condition (chronic bilateral conjunctival injection).

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for chronic meralgia paresthetica is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and records.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the claim for service connection for a respiratory disability due to the Veteran's representative opting-in under the Modernized Appeals System (AMA).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected right iliac artery occlusion with collateralization contributed to his death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for colon polyps, finding that her condition did not have its onset during active service and is not otherwise related to military service or caused by or aggravated by her service-connected GERD.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for a 100% evaluation for the Veteran's heart disability, stating that there are no earlier non-final decisions on which to base such an earlier effective date.