Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for the residuals of a left leg injury as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hip and knee conditions. The issue of temporary total rating based on hospitalization in excess of 21 days due to a left leg surgery is remanded.

The Veteran's pancreatitis and gallbladder disease with gall stones were granted a disability rating of 30 percent as of September 12, 2019.,Previously, the Veteran had been rated at 10 percent from January 1, 2013 through September 26, 2014 and was not entitled to any compensation for this period.

The Board has decided that the service connection for gout should be remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its onset in or relation to active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cold weather injury of the right and left foot, as well as his claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran is required to undergo examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected foot disabilities and whether he has sleep disability that may be associated with these conditions. Additionally, all relevant VA treatment records must be obtained.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the cause of the Veteran's right eye blindness and whether it was caused by VA carelessness, negligence or similar instance of fault. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Board has ordered the case back to the RO for additional development regarding the Veteran's income and net worth as of June 15, 2018. The Veteran is required to provide updated information on his family's financial status.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding service connection for basal cell carcinoma, including exposure to herbicides. A new VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the appellant is not eligible to pursue DIC or survivor pension benefits. The claim for accrued benefits is also denied as no outstanding benefits were owed at the time of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's former spouse, the appellant, is not recognized as his surviving spouse for purposes of entitlement to DIC benefits and death pension benefits due to their divorce at the time of the Veteran's death. The appeal is denied.

The Veteran's skin conditions (basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma) are not presumed to be related to his service exposure to herbicide agents. The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's skin conditions and his in-service exposure.

The Board denied service connection for a gastrointestinal disease, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an SOC, as the August 2018 rating decision was issued in the legacy system and requires further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous medical opinion and because no VA examiner has provided an opinion on whether the Veteran's neck condition is related to his military service. The case will be returned for further examination.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant requested to withdraw it before a decision was made.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a pilonidal cyst status-post excision with residual tenderness was denied. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were also denied, as well as the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's oropharyngeal cancer was not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period; continuity of symptomatology is not established, and the cancer is attributable to intercurrent causes. The Board finds that the evidence does not support service connection for oropharyngeal cancer.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion and missing Vet Center records. The Veteran's lay reports of ongoing psychiatric symptoms since service are considered, but need further clarification in a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right lower extremity neurological disabilities due to an inadequate addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran contends his symptoms began in service, but the examiner's opinion was based on inaccurate factual premises.

The Board has remanded the case due to an incomplete claims file and a need to determine if VA was solely responsible for the overpayment. The Appellant's request for waiver of recovery will be transferred to the appropriate AOJ after these issues are resolved.