Other conditions decisions — 2026

The Board dismissed the appeals for specially adapted housing, special home adaptation, and automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment as the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Veteran is granted a 30 percent disability rating for his service-connected labyrinthitis, effective from July 9, 2024. The condition manifests in dizziness and occasional staggering.

The Veteran's claims for beneficiary travel expenses related to the episodes of care on March 14, 2022 and June 14, 2022 were dismissed as moot because the underlying issues have been resolved.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than October 15, 2019 for service connection of herpes simplex and denied her claim for a compensable disability rating for herpes simplex.

The Board has determined that the discharge of A.A. as primary caregiver under the PCAFC was proper, and thus denied the Veteran's appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the addition of her spouse as a dependent, finding that she did not provide evidence of her marriage to VA within one year of the event. The earliest effective date was determined to be June 21, 2024.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for other trauma and stressor-related disorders, finding that there was no evidence of a disease or injury in service and insufficient continuity of symptomatology to establish service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a vision condition and SMC based on the need for aid and attendance have been denied. The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of a bilateral eye disability or any vision problems other than refractive error, and thus did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's left eye disability, including incomplete service treatment records and an inadequate VA examiner's opinion. The AOJ is instructed to seek complete copies of the Veteran's service medical records and obtain a new examination with an adequate opinion addressing the likely cause of his eye disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a urinary disability, claimed as urinary incontinence, is granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a fecal incontinence disability, including as secondary to a pelvic floor disability, is remanded.

The appeal seeking an effective date earlier than December 17, 2012 for the award of service connection for right hip pain is dismissed. The Veteran's initial disability rating for his service-connected right hip pain remains at 10 percent.

The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for the cause of death due to lack of a timely filed claim, as the first communication from the Appellant was received more than one year after the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted a waiver of recovery for an overpayment of educational assistance benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Veteran was not found at fault in the creation of the overpayment, and there is no evidence of corresponding VA fault. Recovery would cause undue hardship due to the Veteran's financial situation.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic adjustment disorder with alcohol abuse disorder is granted a 70% evaluation effective June 1, 2016. The Veteran is also granted TDIU based on her service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the appeal is not ripe for adjudication due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the marital status of the Veteran and Appellant. The claim will be remanded for further development, including verification of their marital status.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of interstitial lung disease, and the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for left inguinal and femoral lymph node metastatic Merkel carcinoma, as well as metastatic Merkel carcinoma to the L3 vertebrae. The Board found that these conditions are related to herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pelvic floor disability, including pelvic floor dysfunction and pelvic floor spasm, had its onset during service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected other specified trauma and stressor related disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective December 4, 2024. The Board found that the evidence shows occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, consistent with a 70 percent rating.

The appeals for payment or reimbursement of beneficiary travel expenses incurred on March 13, 2025 and March 18, 2025 are dismissed due to the Veteran's death.