Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, as his heart failure did not result from a service-connected disability.,The appellant is not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 because the Veteran was not in receipt of compensation for at least 10 years prior to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for shrapnel wound with residual foreign bodies was denied in August 1971 and again in June 2013. The effective date of May 22, 2018 is the earliest date that can be used to grant service connection due to the finality of previous decisions.

The Veteran's dysautonomia hyperadrenergic postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome had its onset during service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The case will be reviewed by the RO with consideration of new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for breast cancer residuals, finding that his cancer manifested after service and was not related to in-service chest x-ray findings or exposures.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no final decision can be made.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate July 2020 medical opinion, and a new addendum opinion is needed from the VA clinician.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, a need for updated VA Form 21-4142s, and the need for a new VA examination. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after all development is completed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral eye disabilities, including congenital conditions and age-related degeneration, are not service-connected as they did not develop during active duty or due to a superimposed injury. The Veteran's claims for secondary service connection based on his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension have also been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical examination and failure of the Veteran to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The Veteran's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is currently rated as zero percent disabling. The Board has determined that a more up-to-date VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for scleroderma as there is no current diagnosis of this condition and it does not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Board denied a request for an earlier effective date for non-service connected survivor pension benefits, finding that the claim was not received until June 17, 1996, which is several years after the Veteran's death. The decision states there is no legal basis to grant an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's right hip disability, manifested by limitation of flexion, has not been limited to 30 degrees or less. Therefore, a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lupus is remanded. The initial rating and separate rating for bilateral dry eye syndrome with right corneal erosion are granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for reimbursement of medical expenses under the VA Foreign Medical Program (FMP) is remanded due to incomplete documentation and incorrect address.

The Veteran's apportionment of VA benefits to P.P. was initially granted in January 2011 and then increased in September 2015. The claimant applied for an increase, but the AOJ did not issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) or send hearing notice letters to both parties. On remand, these procedural steps need to be completed.

The Board has remanded the cases for a new medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's throat and tongue cancers are related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during service.

The Veteran requested payment or reimbursement for private medical treatment. However, the claims file is incomplete and lacks necessary documents to determine what specific treatment was provided and whether it should be covered by VA. The case is being remanded to gather this information.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's stomach disorder, finding that it was aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.