Other conditions decisions — 2024

The Board denied the appellant's claims for benefits under both 38 U.S.C. § 1815 and 38 U.S.C. § 1805, finding that she does not meet the legal criteria to qualify for these benefits due to a lack of evidence showing her mother is a Vietnam veteran or having spina bifida.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected right ankle condition is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of her symptoms.

The Veteran's ex-spouse and mother of the appellant's children, A.W., Jr. and A.W., has been granted an apportionment of the Veteran's VA disability compensation for the benefit of their children while they were minors in the amount of the additional dependency compensation received by the Veteran.

The Board has granted an initial 20 percent rating for Bell's Palsy prior to July 23, 2021. A higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected radiation proctitis is rated at an initial 60 percent, effective from January 1, 2019.

The Veteran's previous spouse, A., was unable to provide the date of her divorce from her previous husband, R., which is required for VA to recognize her as a dependent and add her name to the Veteran's compensation award.

The Veteran's conditions, including osteomyelitis, chest pain, residuals of pectus excavatum repair, and disorder of the bone cartilage, were found to be due to VA treatment. The Board determined that there was no negligence or fault on the part of VA personnel in providing care.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's insomnia disorder, diagnosed as an insomnia disorder, began in service and has been continuous since then. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran and his spouse's income was not in excess of the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR) for the first year of their pension, allowing them to receive a monthly pension of $2,054 from April 25, 2013 through December 1, 2013. For the period after December 1, 2013, they were entitled to a monthly pension of $2,085.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient Medical Expense Reports for October 2014 and a need for updated income information. The pension benefits for E.S. and J.S. are pending further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's pulmonary function and exercise capacity, requiring another VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues, including providing proper notice of the appellant's claim for apportionment and developing evidence related to child support payments and SSA benefits. The Veteran was not provided with proper notice of the appellant's claim for apportionment in an earlier decision.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding service connection for myotonic myopathy, specifically addressing whether it was caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability and if there is a nexus with Gulf War exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acute right cerebrovascular accident and left hemiplegia, including potential service connection based on exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has ordered a remand due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's gallbladder removal and his service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents and contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The case will be reviewed with new medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date of July 13, 2016, for a 10 percent rating for Bell's palsy and Guillain Barre syndrome is dismissed as the decision was final.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right foot disability, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's right and left hip disabilities have been rated based on limitation of motion, with the highest possible ratings for each hip. The appeal is denied as the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his service-connected bilateral hip conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed osteitis deformans (Paget's disease) is related to his military service, granting service connection for this condition.