Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for otitis externa due to a lack of adequate medical opinion and further development is required.

The Board has determined that the appellant's timely submission of evidence within one year of the denial of his accrued benefits claim is sufficient to meet the criteria for filing a timely claim.

The Veteran's appeal for waiver of indebtedness was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected disabilities, including secondary service connection claims for various disorders. The Board has remanded these issues due to the need for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's claim for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits was denied because his period of service used to establish eligibility for Chapter 30 educational assistance also barred him from receiving Chapter 33 benefits. The Board found that the law precluded switching between programs based on a single event or period of service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need of regular aid and attendance, leading to the grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his left shoulder condition is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's embolism and thrombosis of the iliac artery, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a 20% rating under Diagnostic Code 7111 due to lack of claudication on walking more than 100 yards or diminished peripheral pulses.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating and effective date for Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is denied. The TDIU was initially granted on November 30, 2015.

The Veteran's ratings for PVD of the left and right lower extremities were reduced from 40% to 20%, effective July 1, 2012. The reduction was upheld as supported by evidence showing improvement in symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's current abdominal disabilities, including a ventral hernia and/or diastasis recti, are related to in-service symptoms or injuries.

The Veteran's right foot disability is rated at 20 percent, and service connection for a right knee disability as secondary to the right foot disability is granted. Service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities are denied due to lack of evidence linking them to service-connected conditions.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee arthritis was denied. However, the Veteran received a grant of a 10 percent rating for lateral instability due to left knee arthritis effective December 16, 2012.

The Veteran's son, E.F., is being remanded for further evaluation to determine if he was permanently incapable of self-support prior to his 18th birthday.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the loss of his height is dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate this claim as he passed away during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for a right foot condition to include pain, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition was aggravated by military service and resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Veteran's request for a government-furnished headstone or grave marker has been remanded due to new evidence being associated with the claims file. The Appellant will be provided a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) and given an opportunity to respond.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent effective April 10, 2019. The rating remains granted for the period from December 15, 2011 to July 23, 2013 and from August 25, 2017 onwards.

The appeal for a higher disability rating for calluses of both feet is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and further development. The Veteran's representative suggested extra-schedular consideration, which needs to be reviewed by VA's Director of Compensation Service.