Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's thoracic outlet syndrome and service, as well as its connection to her service-connected GERD.

The Board denied recognition of N. as the Veteran's dependent child for VA purposes due to lack of legal adoption, despite the Veteran having custody and providing care.

The Veteran's appeal for payment or reimbursement of non-VA medical services provided by Yale Medical Center on October 11, 2022 is dismissed because no claim was filed with the AOJ.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating and earlier effective date for loss of use of one hand and one foot was granted. An effective date of January 10, 2020, is granted for the 100 percent rating. The issue of an increased rating for bowel impairment associated with CVA is dismissed as there is no evidence of such symptoms in the year prior to June 5, 2020.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case as he is deceased.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hamstring disability due to inadequate examination and consideration of flare-ups. A new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the service-connected disability.

The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for bilateral pterygium, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's insomnia began during his active service and is therefore granted as a direct service connection.

The Veteran's skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, is remanded for further examination to determine if it was incurred in service due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's cause of death, a myocardial infarction, is found to be related to his service-connected undiagnosed illness manifested by dyspnea and chest pain.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for additional payment of medical services provided by Hope Hospice (HH) to the Veteran from April 1, 2020, through June 10, 2020. The appellant's claims were previously granted and no further action is required.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for vulvovaginitis has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board, requesting a waiver of indebtedness. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has determined that the evidence is insufficient to adjudicate the claim for cause of death due to metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, and a new medical opinion is needed regarding whether it was related to service exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's glioblastoma brain cancer, presumed to be caused by his exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam, is found to have contributed to his death. Service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Board denied service connection for ampullary adenocarcinoma (pancreatic cancer) and denied DIC benefits based on the cause of death. The evidence did not show a link between the pancreatic cancer and service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's death occurred after a decision granting non-service-connected disability pension benefits. The Appellant, as the surviving spouse, is seeking accrued benefits for her husband's liberalizing law period of veteran pension benefits. The Board finds that there was a pending claim at the time of the Veteran's death and remands the case to readjudicate the Appellant's claim for accrued benefits in light of this pending claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a waiver of the recoupment of an overpayment debt in the amount of $15,447.54 due to VA oversight. The decision found that the fault associated with the creation of the overpayment was not against the principles of equity and justice.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for brain cancer has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for VR&E benefits due to a failure to perform an initial evaluation as required by VA regulations. The AOJ will need to arrange for an appropriate evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on her employment, including determining if she has an employment handicap or serious employment handicap.