Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address the etiology of the Veteran's urinary incontinence and its relation to his service-connected right varicocele.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development and an additional VA medical opinion to address whether her gall bladder surgery resulted in additional disability, if so, whether it was caused by carelessness or negligence on VA's part, and whether any current left eye disability is related to service. The issues of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of VA gall bladder surgery and service connection for a left eye disability are both remanded.

The appeal was dismissed due to the appellant's death, and no service connection issues were decided.

The Veteran's Raynaud's syndrome claim was denied, and her bunions compensation claim was remanded due to incomplete records.

The Board denied service connection for DVT with resulting implantation of inferior vena cava filter, pulmonary embolism, arterial fibrillation, and leaking mitral valve, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were not caused or aggravated by his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for syringomyelia prior to February 1, 2020 was denied. However, he is now in receipt of a 30 percent rating for thoracolumbar syringomyelia beginning on that date.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for additional development regarding the appellant's eligibility for special monthly pension (SMP). The main issue is determining if she qualifies for this benefit, which could affect her death pension benefits.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability and a disability manifested by joint pain, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding his periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The claims are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Veteran's claim for higher than 50 percent level of Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance benefits was denied as there is no legal basis to grant the claim. The Veteran had a total of 227 days of qualifying active duty service, but did not meet the criteria for a higher percentage due to having less than 12 months of creditable active duty service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete opinions and further development is needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal of TDIU due to inextricability with her claim for compensation for bunions. The TDIU appeal will be reconsidered after the resolution of the bunions claim.

The Board denied service connection for inguinal hernia, benign colon mass, and partial removal of the colon. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse for purposes of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits due to the marriage not meeting the required one-year provision under VA regulations. The Board found that the appellant was married to another person in 1991, which served as a legal impediment preventing them from forming a common law marriage.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for survivor (death) pension benefits prior to January 1, 2011 and from December 1, 2011 due to her countable income exceeding the applicable maximum annual pension rates.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher evaluation for adenocarcinoma of the prostate, currently rated at 60 percent from September 18, 2019, was denied. The Board found no basis to assign a higher rating and noted that the current 60 percent rating is the maximum available under the criteria for voiding dysfunction.

The Veteran's mood disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board has granted a higher rating of 50 percent for the period prior to April 17, 2014. The Veteran also received a TDIU for periods prior to and after November 8, 2010.

The Board denied service connection for pancreatic cancer as the evidence did not show it was incurred in or related to active service, including exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's gynecomastia is not manifested by scars, lymphedema, disfigurement, or impairment of function. Therefore, the claim for an initial compensable evaluation for gynecomastia has been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating, finding that his service-connected right foot disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.