Other conditions Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for inflammatory arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current gout/gouty arthritis did not manifest in service or within one year thereafter and is not otherwise related to a period of qualifying service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the Veteran's challenge regarding the creation of the overpayment and his request for a waiver. The validity of the debt must be reviewed first before considering the waiver issue.

The Board denied service connection for a blood disorder, including polycythemia vera, thrombocythemia, thrombocytosis, arthritis, and erysipelas, finding that the conditions were not related to in-service events or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's increased ratings for left and right heel disabilities are granted, with a 20 percent rating assigned. Service connection for the right foot disorder is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to non-compliance with previous remand directives and a need for an addendum opinion regarding service connection for menorrhagia.

The Board granted service connection for actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma in situ, as well as a chronic cough. The Veteran's hearing loss was found to be noncompensable.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) and TDIU has been denied. The IVDS is currently rated at 40 percent, which is the highest available rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Veteran's service after September 2001 was considered active duty for training (ADT), which is not qualifying service for Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance benefits.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for epistaxis was denied. The Board found that the current schedular rating adequately reflects the Veteran's symptoms and does not warrant an extraschedular rating.

The Veteran's initial claims for higher ratings for his service-connected right and left lower extremity Achilles tendonitis, as well as gastritis, have been denied. The Board has found that the evidence does not support a finding of moderate or marked limitation in motion for these conditions prior to November 7, 2019, and from November 7, 2019 respectively.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU benefits was also remanded due to insufficient evidence showing his service-connected disabilities preclude him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increases in the 'staged' ratings for his left lower extremity radiculopathy and underlying low back disability (HNP at L4-5 with DDD and IVDS) are denied.,The Veteran is not entitled to higher ratings for his left lower extremity radiculopathy prior to April 3, 2015. However, he is granted a higher 40 percent rating since that date.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for hypersensitivity pneumonitis was denied, but the Board granted an earlier effective date for the 60 percent disability rating. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Veteran's uterine fibroids resulted in a 10 percent rating from October 1, 2012 to February 15, 2018.,A 100 percent rating for laparoscopic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy with uterine fibroids was granted from February 16, 2018 to May 16, 2018. A 30 percent rating was assigned thereafter.,SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(k) based on anatomical loss of a creative organ was granted beginning from February 16, 2018.,SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) was granted from February 16, 2018 to May 16, 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current vision disability is linked to his in-service vitreal floaters. The case will be returned for another VA examination and medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right leg disability did not manifest during service and is unrelated to service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and rating considerations due to insufficient evidence regarding the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected shoulder disabilities.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for death pension as a helpless child of the deceased Veteran due to her previous marriage, which disqualified her from receiving benefits.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for throat cancer as due to exposure to herbicide agents in ROK was granted, with the presumption of exposure being established based on his lay testimony and buddy statements. The Board found that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether he was exposed to herbicides near the DMZ.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a skin condition, including chloracne, related to his military service or exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The preponderance of evidence is against finding any such connection.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral leg varicose veins, finding that his active military service is related to these conditions.