Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's daughter, A.G., is being recognized as the helpless child of the Veteran due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to reaching 18 years old. The claim was remanded because new evidence has been submitted and SSA records are needed.

The Veteran's appeal for the addition of his former spouse (N.B.) as a dependent was denied due to insufficient information regarding her prior marriage and divorce.,The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for dependents (H.N., I.C.) was also denied because he did not provide sufficient information about their marital history.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of death and DIC benefits due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's exposure to asbestos and herbicide agents in service, particularly concerning his service within the territorial sea of Vietnam.

The Veteran's application for additional dependency benefits based on his child's college attendance is incomplete and requires the submission of a completed VA Form 21-674, Request for Approval of School Attendance.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a sleep disorder and bilateral foot disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Board has remanded two issues related to the Veteran's service-connected right tonsil squamous cell carcinoma. The first issue is about muscle cramps in the neck, and the second is about multiple and recurrent oral candida infections. Both cases require additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete evidence and need for further medical evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inaccurate factual premise in a previous VA examiner's opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran’s death. A new VA medical opinion is required considering all evidence of record, including the August 2013 private treatment record showing acute respiratory failure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neurological conditions of both upper extremities, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his service-connected neck disability or any other service event.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for gout was granted. The Board found that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran had continuous gout symptoms in and since service, thus granting service connection for gout. However, the issue of service connection for a pulmonary disorder, claimed as shortness of breath, due to herbicide agent exposure remains remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for a waiver of overpayment of non-service-connected pension benefits, finding that collection would not be against equity and good conscience due to the Veteran's fault in creating the debt.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of VA treatment records and an outdated VA examination. The Veteran's disability may have worsened since his last examination, so he needs to be evaluated again by VA.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's gallbladder stones and removal first manifested during service, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for an eye disorder and a dental disorder, as well as the grant of higher disability ratings for kidney stones. The effective date for the 20% rating for kidney stones was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and special monthly compensation were denied. The rating for residuals of a left hand gunshot wound with amputation, ankylosis, and degenerative changes was not granted higher than 40%. Ratings for scars, median nerve impairment, painful right shoulder scar, and neurological impairment related to the right foot wounds were also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected left foot Morton's neuroma, status post excision, is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent. The Board denied a higher rating as there are no other applicable diagnostic codes and the condition already has the highest possible rating.

The Board has vacated the decision on nonservice-connected pension due to the Veteran's death and dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has granted recognition of C. as the Veteran's child for the purpose of additional dependency compensation based on a signed acknowledgment that the Veteran is the biological father.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for periodontal disease as the Veteran did not provide necessary information and failed to allege specific errors of fact or law.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU) as there is insufficient vocational information and work history to determine if he stopped engaging in substantial gainful activity due to his service-connected disabilities.