Other conditions decisions — 2026

The Board has determined that the reduction in disability rating from 10 percent to noncompensable for left great toe sprain was improper and restored the 10 percent disability rating, effective August 8, 2024. The issue of service connection for gout of the right great toe is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of medical opinion and consideration of prior service. The claim for service connection for cause of death is being reconsidered.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gallbladder condition, including chronic cholecystitis status post-cholecystectomy, is being remanded due to the need for a fully adequate etiology opinion addressing potential exposure to burn pits and other environmental toxins during his deployments.

The Veteran's service-connected right elbow impairment of supination and pronation did not meet the criteria for a minimum compensable rating under DC 5213, as there was no evidence of limitation of motion to 30 degrees or less in either forearm motion.

The Board has determined that there are pre-decisional duty to assist errors in the claims for service connection for teratozoospermia and empty sella syndrome, and these issues have been remanded for further development.

The Board has identified a duty to assist error in failing to obtain recent service treatment records and remands the case for further development, including obtaining an examination and medical opinion.

The Board has restored the Veteran's service connection for pulmonary fibrosis, effective October 14, 2013, correcting the ineffective date of severance from October 14, 2013 to December 31, 2023.

The Veteran's heart disability, including chronic heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and atrial fibrillation, was granted service connection on March 14, 2017, due to exposure at Camp Lejeune. The effective date is set for that day.

The Board has decided that the application for eligibility to enroll in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is remanded due to insufficient notice and a need for a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's eligibility criteria.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals because they were not filed within one year of the rating decisions, and no good cause was shown for the late filing.

The Board has granted the appellant's claim for service connection for recurrent basal cell carcinoma (BCC) due to radiation exposure during his military service.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the Veteran's spouse did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) within one year after the January 2023 decision denying eligibility for PCAFC benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and incomplete medical opinions. The Veteran's respiratory disability claim is being returned for further development.

The Board denied eligibility for enrollment in the PCAFC due to a finding that the Veteran is not in need of personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months because he can perform his ADLs and does not require supervision or protection based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring a legally adequate medical decision regarding eligibility for PCAFC enrollment.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of left leg shin splints, right leg shin splints, and right foot fracture are being remanded due to the need for further development regarding the effects of medication on their severity.

The Veteran's applications for PCAFC enrollment were denied due to the VA Caregiver Program Clinical Eligibility Assessment finding that he did not meet eligibility criteria under the program. The Board found the assessment to be legally inadequate and remanded for a new medical opinion.,Similarly, the May 2021 decision denying the Veteran's application for PCAFC enrollment was also deemed legally inadequate by the Board and remanded for a more detailed and thoroughly explained medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection regarding myopericarditis, anemia with agranulocytosis, and cellulitis of the back with ulceration and skin grafting have been dismissed due to untimely notices of disagreement.,The Veteran's appeals were submitted under systems that predated the effective date of the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA), which became effective in 2019. The VA received the NODs after these decisions had already been appealed and decided.

The Board has granted service connection for essential tremors, finding that the Veteran's exposure to ionizing radiation during his military service is sufficient to establish a direct link between his condition and service.

The Veteran's application for benefits under the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) was denied because the necessary evaluations, trainings, and assessments were not completed within 90 days due to the Veteran's inability to respond.