Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for service connection for heart conditions and an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD secondary to a heart disorder, are remanded due to the need for additional development. Specifically, VA must obtain all outstanding treatment records from private providers and SSA records. A VA medical opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's heart disorders are related to exposure to radiation in service or living conditions aboard submarines. The psychiatric claim also requires a VA examination to determine if PTSD was caused by service stressors.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA treatment records from September 2013 through December 2013, including any administrative records regarding authorizing treatment at Portneuf Medical Center.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 are remanded due to outstanding VA records and need for addendum opinions.,VA is required to obtain informed consent documents and any documentation related to a November 2015 telephone conversation with R.C., as well as provide an addendum opinion addressing the etiology of his lumbar radiculopathy, gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, H. pylori, gastritis, duodenitis, and ulcerative colitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA back examination. The Veteran's thoracic spine disorder is being reviewed for possible service connection and secondary to his service-connected left shoulder condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and the Veteran's lay assertions regarding service exposure. The claim will be reviewed again with a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's right knee instability and degenerative joint disease prior to April 13, 2016 are rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to severe atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The Board has requested additional information from the Military Records Research Center regarding whether the Veteran may have been exposed to herbicide agents at Charleston AFB during his service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left foot condition and congestive heart failure due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran is requested to provide additional information about his exposure to herbicides in Thailand, and a VA examination is needed to determine if he served at Udorn or other Thai Air Force bases during his active duty.

The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's service-connected paralysis of the ilio-inguinal nerve and painful scar of the right hand, as these conditions are already rated at their maximum. The claim for TDIU was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for a right middle finger laceration prior to May 16, 2017 has been withdrawn and is dismissed.

The Veteran's application for Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) was denied because he has worked full-time in a non-protected environment earning more than the poverty limit, and thus does not meet the economic eligibility requirements.

The Board has determined that the July 2010 rating decision is not final and therefore, the Veteran's claim to reverse or revise the decision on CUE grounds is dismissed. The issues of whether the reduction was proper and for an effective date prior to January 28, 2013 are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for the acquired psychiatric disorder of other trauma or stressor related disorder as secondary to service-connected bladder cancer with urinary dysfunction, finding that the Veteran's mental health condition was caused at least in part by his service-connected bladder cancer.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for joint pain, other than wrist joints, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness is dismissed because the Veteran withdrew his Legacy appeal by opting into the modernized review system under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA).

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that lung cancer was not related to his military service or presumed contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The appellant has withdrawn his appeal, and the Board has dismissed it.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the withholding of service-connected compensation benefits for 8 drill pay days in FY2012 has been dismissed due to a withdrawal request.

The Veteran's neurologic manifestations of right and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted increased ratings, with the right leg receiving a 40% rating and the left leg receiving an 80% rating. The orthopedic manifestations of L1 vertebra fracture are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to incomplete documentation and unclear calculation of educational assistance benefits.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left hand disabilities due to a failure to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records, which may contain pertinent evidence.