Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for migraines as secondary to a cervical spine disability. The increased rating claims for the cervical spine disability prior to January 2, 2020 and from that date have been denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the decision was made, so the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's skin disorder, cutaneous leishmaniasis, is granted an initial 30 percent disability rating prior to November 6, 2020.

The Board has denied service connection for right and left eye cataracts, finding no current diagnosis of the conditions during the appeal period. The Veteran's prior diagnoses were not related to active service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the establishment of dependency as a son and wife, thus dismissing these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected traumatic brain injury is found to have caused or aggravated his current eye condition, including diplopia, esotropia, early presbyopia, and bilateral meibomian gland dysfunction.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral eye disability, including macular degeneration, finding that the condition was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. The Board also found no link between the Veteran's in-service conjunctivitis or need for reading glasses and his current eye disabilities.

The Veteran's degenerative scoliosis is related to an injury sustained while in service, and the claim for this condition has been granted. The claims for spina bifida and back injury are remanded due to insufficient development.

The Board vacated the August 2019 decision denying DIC benefits as a helpless child of the Veteran due to improper listing and mailing of the appellant. The termination of DIC benefits effective February 1, 2017, was found proper because the appellant's marriage barred him from being recognized as a helpless child.

The Board has found new and material evidence for the Veteran's claims of service connection for transverse myelitis, anxiety secondary to a back disorder, and depression secondary to a back disorder. The claims are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection for gastric cancer due to herbicide exposure is granted. The case of the bilateral eye disorder is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to potential outstanding Social Security Administration (SSA) records that may be relevant to the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding service connection for PTSD, and the Board has dismissed the case as a result.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left foot neuroma is related to his military service. The examiner must provide an opinion on this issue.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for back and bilateral lower extremity disabilities, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service. The decision also remanded the issue of service connection for a left eye disability other than photophobia and irregular pupil.,The VA examiner provided an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left eye diagnoses (pinguecula, nuclear sclerosis cataracts, and arcus senilis), noting that these conditions are not related to his in-service injury. The Board has found this opinion inadequate for adjudication purposes.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for a waiver of overpayment of $606 in additional VA disability compensation benefits for his former spouse. The decision found no fault on the Veteran's part, but concluded that recovery would not be against equity and good conscience.

The Board denied the Appellant's claim as his character of discharge is a bar to VA benefits due to willful and persistent misconduct.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his death was not related to active service or any incident of service.,The Appellant's annual income exceeded the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) throughout the appeal period, thus denying her eligibility for non-service-connected death pension benefits.

The Veteran's increased disability ratings for the right and left hand cold injuries are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.,The Veteran's increased disability ratings for the right and left foot cold injuries are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the presence and etiology of any additional neurological disorders, specifically headaches and fatigue, related to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune.