Other conditions decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection and disability rating for bilateral dry eye syndrome due to missing medical records and unclear visual field findings. The Veteran's left elbow injury is also under review.

The Board dismissed the claim for payment or reimbursement of medical services provided to the Veteran on February 12, 2020 due to a jurisdictional issue.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for shin splints of both lower extremities due to insufficient medical evidence linking the current disabilities to service. A new VA examination is required.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for back pain, finding that VA did not provide a proper examination or opinion regarding whether the Veteran's back pain is related to his service-connected right thumb condition. The examiner must address both the onset of the back pain and its relationship to the service-connected right thumb condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right/dominant hand, right finger, and right hand nerve damage conditions on the basis of direct service connection due to an in-service injury.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors and insufficient evidence for service connection claims related to vasculitis disability and interstitial lung disease.

The Board dismissed the appeal of entitlement to an effective date earlier than January 27, 2020, for a non-initial rating of adjustment disorder with depressed mood.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal for TDIU as the issue had been resolved by a February 2021 rating decision awarding TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for umbilical and inguinal hernia conditions, finding that there is no evidence of in-service onset or relationship to service.

The Board dismissed the appeal as moot because VHA overturned its denials and approved the claims for non-VA medical care provided by AEMG on January 18, 2020.

The appeal for additional attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in the September 2020 rating decision has been dismissed due to a withdrawal request from the appellant.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for vomiting, an eye condition, and short term memory loss has been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.,Specifically, a VA examination is required to determine if any diagnosed eye conditions are related to service exposure to mustard gas.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for residuals of a back injury due to an inadequate opinion from the VA examiner. The Veteran's representative asserts that the examiner's opinion is insufficient, citing issues with the absence of a back diagnosis and lack of examination findings.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical nexus opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current hallux valgus, left foot. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the condition is related to service and to distinguish symptoms from other diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's eligibility for benefits under VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error. The Board finds the October 2022 Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) medical review inadequate.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the Appellant died during the pendency of the appeal and there are no provisions for substitution in this case.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating and earlier effective date for bilateral callosities of the feet are being remanded due to insufficient evidence in the record, including conflicting VA examination findings and a need for separate evaluations of each foot.

The Veteran's skin disorders, including verruca vulgaris, small cell carcinoma, seborrheic keratosis, erythematous hyperkeratotic scaly plaque, squamous cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis are being remanded for further examination to determine their relationship to service. The residual scars from basal cell carcinomas and a sebaceous cyst are also being examined. The rating for chloracne is also being remanded.

The Veteran's chronic gastritis with duodenitis, also claimed as esophagitis, erosive gastritis, and gastrointestinal problems, has been rated at a 60 percent disability rating effective January 28, 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of Chron's disease due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relationship to his military service. The Veteran will need a VA examination to determine if his current condition is related to his time in service.