Other conditions decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for payment or reimbursement of ambulance expenses incurred on March 21 and March 28, 2023. The decision is based on a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the Veteran's income status and inability to defray travel expenses.

The Veteran's service-connected multiple myeloma is granted on a presumptive basis due to presumed herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability contributed to his death, specifically due to salmonella infection post-knee replacement.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cancer of the mouth, throat, or respiratory tract is remanded due to new evidence submitted after a previous denial. The Board finds that the evidence does not meet the standard for 'new and relevant' evidence as it pertains to esophageal cancer but considers squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has found the Appellant's request for waiver of overpayment debt was timely filed. The appeal is remanded to consider whether the debt was validly created and if the circumstances surrounding the Veteran's discharge from service qualify for an exception.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for fatigue and adjustment disorder as there is no new and relevant evidence received since the September 2018 rating decision.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death due to lack of evidence linking herbicide agent exposure to the Veteran's urothelial carcinoma and other conditions that caused his death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and inadequate notification, as well as a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding eligibility for PCAFC benefits.

The Board has remanded two cases for further evaluation due to insufficient evidence in the initial rating decision. The Veteran is seeking service connection for venous insufficiency of his right and left lower extremities, which he asserts are related to military service or secondary to his already service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in creating and validating the overpayment of VA pension benefits. The Appellant's claim will be reviewed for any valid portion of the debt, and she will be provided information on how to appeal or seek waiver.

The Board has restored a 20 percent rating for hypermobility to the right and left temporomandibular joints secondary to posterior ligament stretching, effective August 1, 2019, as the reduction was invalid.

The Board denied the appeal as the termination of survivor's special monthly pension (SMP) effective January 1, 2021 was proper due to the appellant's income exceeding the applicable maximum annual pension rates (MAPR).

The Veteran withdrew their appeal, and the Board dismissed it.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for left eye blindness due to a duty-to-assist error. The Veteran's reports about his symptoms are considered, but an adequate medical opinion is needed to determine if his current disability had its onset during service or is otherwise related to in-service events.

The Board has determined that there was an error in the March 2023 VA examination and remands the case for a new opinion to assess whether the Veteran's cold injury residuals are related to his service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for adjustment disorder, previously denied as bipolar disorder, has been granted. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition (mood disorder) is also granted. The claims of service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and lumbar spine conditions are remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeal as the AOJ had already resolved the issue in favor of the Appellant by approving payment for medical services provided at Frederick Memorial Hospital.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error and the need for an addendum medical opinion regarding service connection for colon cancer.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for urinary incontinence and dysmenorrhea have been dismissed because the Veteran withdrew her appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has removed the character of discharge as a bar to VA compensation benefits, and thus grants the appeal. The claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is referred back to the RO for further consideration.