Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Board denied service connection for a deviated septum, finding that the condition clearly and unmistakably pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case to determine whether the Veteran could have established or maintained gainful employment prior to July 21, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral elbow tendonitis, finding that there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between his current condition and his active duty service. The claims for initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss are remanded due to incomplete records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran is required to provide or authorize VA to obtain relevant treatment records, and a retrospective medical opinion regarding functional loss during flare-ups will be obtained.

The Board denied service connection for muscle weakness, pain, and numbness of the upper extremities and lower extremities, including as related to myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. The evidence did not show that these disabilities began during active service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury, disease, or event.,The Veteran's exposure to kerosene during his active duty service was noted, but there is no competent medical opinion linking the disabilities to this exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed left face tumor and neck tumor, which are considered service-connected.

The Veteran's essential tremors during service was a service-connected disability, allowing him to be eligible for VA benefits and the government-furnished headstone, grave marker, or medallion.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information regarding the Veteran's income and expenses, particularly since he changed his living situation in January 2023. The appellant is required to provide updated information for each year from May 2012 to the present.

The Veteran's claim for Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits was denied because his discharge from service was under a general (under honorable conditions) classification, which does not meet the requirement of an honorable discharge needed for eligibility.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a gallbladder removal as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected esophageal cancer and GERD, assigning a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for benign prostatitic hyperplasia (BPH) was denied because he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.

The Veteran's diagnosed skin disorder, localized scleroderma or morphea, is considered to have been incurred during service due to exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Board found a balance of evidence in favor of the claim.

The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with its remand directives and has ordered the case to be returned for further development, including addendum VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's adult son is not eligible for DIC or survivors' pension benefits due to the law, and not evidence. The appellant also cannot receive retroactive dependency benefits based on his school attendance from August 2012 to May 2017 as a matter of law.

The Board denied the appellant's claim as a surviving spouse of the Veteran due to their legal divorce at the time of his death, and thus she is not eligible for VA benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's current venereal disease and its relation to service. The case is returned for further development, including a VA examination and RPR test.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for pulmonary coccidioidomycosis, finding the evidence insufficient to establish minimal symptoms such as occasional minor hemoptysis or productive cough.

The Board has remanded the case for additional clinical opinions regarding the Veteran's non-organic circadian rhythm of sleep disorder and alcohol use disorder, as well as an initial diagnosis assessment. The Veteran is seeking increased ratings for his service-connected conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a vaginal condition, attributing it to the Veteran's current gynecological conditions and not related to her service or service-connected iron deficiency anemia. Service connection for alopecia areata was also denied.

The Veteran's symptoms of fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain (chest), and sleep disturbances are attributable to known diagnoses such as PTSD, migraines, musculoskeletal conditions, and medication side effects. Service connection is denied.