Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Veteran's right and left leg shin splints have been granted initial 10 percent ratings, effective from the date of decision. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) has been dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a prostate disability, finding no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his active duty service, including exposure to herbicides in Thailand. The Board noted that while prostate cancer is associated with herbicide exposure, benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) itself is not presumed to be due to such exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claim for Lyme disease is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his current symptoms are related to his in-service treatment.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence and for further development, including obtaining relevant non-VA treatment records from Siteman Cancer Center and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's ichthyosis first manifested during his active service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's cardiac disability is related to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus and/or PTSD.

The Board has remanded the claims for an effective date prior to October 29, 2018 for eligibility for special monthly pension (SMP) based on the need for aid and attendance (A&A) of another person. The other death pension benefits termination and reduction issues are also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected residuals of pterygium, left eye, status-post excision do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as they are not manifested by decreased visual acuity or other symptoms.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for service connection for skin disorders of both hands, finding that new and material evidence was received. The appeal is dismissed as moot due to a grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss in a recent rating decision.

The Veteran's service period does not meet the minimum active-duty service requirement to establish eligibility for VA home loan guaranty benefits.

The Veteran's service-connected endometriosis with dyspareunia and infertility with obstructed tubes disability was improperly reduced from a 30 percent rating to a 0 percent rating. The 30 percent rating is restored, and the Veteran is granted secondary service connection for her left ovary removal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's leg length discrepancy and its relationship to his service-connected right ankle injury.

The Board has granted an effective date of November 20, 2017 for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's VA compensation benefits on behalf of his minor children, M.B. and A.B., were granted in November 2017 with an effective date of September 1, 2017. The appellant requested a prior effective date but was not provided the contents of her March 2019 substantive appeal. The Board finds that full compliance with contested claims procedures is necessary.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain records from Franklin County DHR and Mount Meigs regarding the appellant's medical history prior to her 18th birthday.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence and for a medical opinion regarding the appellant's mental health during service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left leg disabilities due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms in service are considered, but a new examination is needed to determine if his current knee strains are related to his active duty.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if the Veteran received his VA compensation benefits via a Direct Express Prepaid Debit Card and when it expired. The AOJ is instructed to provide the Veteran with resources to obtain this information.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for a low back disability and for an earlier effective date for service connection of a right lower extremity radiculopathy disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of whether there was clear and unmistakable error in a prior decision.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse due to a lack of legal marriage at the time of the Veteran's death, and therefore found that she did not meet the criteria for this status.