Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Veteran's right thumb disability is granted a 10% rating, effective from April 28, 2016.,For the period beginning July 18, 2019, the Veteran's left thumb disability is granted a 10% rating.

The Board has referred the issue of entitlement to service connection for dental disabilities (loss of teeth) for treatment purposes due to a raised claim. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for loss of teeth numbers 7 through 9 is remanded and requires additional examination and opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for insomnia as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus, finding that his tinnitus is at least as likely as not a cause of his insomnia.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for bilateral vision loss as it is unclear if new and material evidence has been submitted. The Veteran must provide authorization for VA to obtain his private medical records from UAB Huntsville Regional Medical Center, Greene County Hospital, and DCH Regional Medical Center.

The Veteran's other specified trauma and stress related disorder is rated at 70 percent, which is the maximum rating available. The Board denied a higher rating as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 100% rating due to lack of total occupational and social impairment.

The Board has determined that there was no substantial compliance with its remand directives and has therefore ordered a new remand to obtain additional records and provide an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's right-hand disability.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral keratoconus with astigmatism and lattice degeneration without holes of the left eye, finding that both conditions were congenital diseases or defects that existed prior to service and did not worsen during service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's motion for reversal or revision of their December 2021 decision denying reimbursement for unauthorized non-VA medical expenses due to lack of evidence supporting service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's acute myeloid leukemia is related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service. The DIC claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 remains on hold as there is no evidence of continuous total disability rating or TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal for separate compensable initial evaluations and an increased evaluation for service-connected ALS from June 6, 1959, to January 18, 2012, is denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support additional evaluations based on symptoms affecting other body parts or systems.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions and unavailability of VA treatment records from a specific time period. The Veteran's skin disorders are being reviewed for potential service connection based on herbicide agent exposure, but the current evidence is not sufficient.

The Veteran's right and left hip bursitis did not meet the criteria for increased evaluations prior to August 8, 2022.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating determinations due to incomplete evidence. The gastrointestinal disorder claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a gastrointestinal disorder, while the hearing loss and skin disorder claims are remanded for further development.

The appeal is dismissed due to the appellant's death prior to a decision being made.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to address VA's duty to assist in obtaining medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's death was service-connected. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's heart condition, emphysema, and his cause of death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for malaria was reopened due to new and material evidence, but the claim is still denied as there is no current diagnosis of malaria.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral eye disability and its relationship to service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and herbicide agents during service in Vietnam. The issues are now inextricably intertwined.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected limitation of motion in his right ring and little fingers, finding that the schedular criteria adequately described his disability level.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia as due to herbicide exposure, finding that the Veteran served in Vietnam and was exposed to Agent Orange. The claim is based on a presumption of service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU prior to March 30, 2018 is dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.