Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's right thumb strain was granted a 20% disability rating, effective July 1, 2020.,An earlier effective date of July 1, 2020, for the award of a 20% disability rating for right thumb strain is also granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to address VA treatment records from 1994-2005, specifically those related to Dr. L. M. J.'s March 2, 1995 X-ray. The AOJ is required to obtain these records and determine if they are new and material to the service connection and increased rating issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for reimbursement of non-VA prescription medication obtained on August 31, 2023, needs to be remanded due to incomplete development and lack of proper notice.

The Veteran's claims for beneficiary travel payment were denied as the applications were submitted more than 30 calendar days after completing the travel.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in the notice provided by the AOJ and lack of records from the June 15, 2021, medical treatment. The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of non-VA medical services will be reconsidered.

The Board has determined that there is a pre-decisional duty to assist error and requires an adequate medical decision for the Veteran's application for PCAFC benefits.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for additional DIC benefits on the basis that her adult son, D.J., had already attained the age of 18 and was no longer eligible for increased DIC payments due to his permanent incapacity prior to reaching 18 years old.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests to add her mother and father as dependent parents for VA disability compensation benefits due to insufficient evidence of their parent-child relationship.

The Veteran's liver disability is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD and has been granted.

The reduction in the rating of the Veteran's temporomandibular joint syndrome with bruxism from 40% to 30% was improper, and her petition to restore the 40% rating is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's prostate disability, including its relationship to service, medication use, and toxic risk exposure activity (TERA).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not substantially contribute to his employment handicap, and he was found employable with his current skills, training, and education. The Board denied VR&E benefits as the Veteran did not have an employment handicap.

The Veteran's trigeminal neuralgia is rated at a 10 percent disability rating, effective from August 1, 2023.

The Board dismissed the appellant's appeal for additional accrued benefits as it was not properly initiated and there are no issues of law or fact to be decided.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, including as due to exposure to herbicides and burn pits, should be remanded. The AOJ must obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's pulmonary fibrosis.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected right foot contusion, finding that he is not unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The appellant requested withdrawal of her appeal for survivors' pension benefits, and the Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's claim for VA dental treatment for service-connected bruxism and TMJ, including the residuals thereof is being remanded due to inadequate notice in the previous decision.

The Board has decided that the Veteran is eligible for enrollment in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) related to a November 2020 application. However, due to an inadequate CEAT opinion and inconsistencies between the March 2021 CEAT consult opinion and the January 2021 PCAFC application intake, the matter is being remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the Veteran's claimed herbicide agent exposure at Camp Casey, which could impact his claim for service connection for cause of death.