Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a left inguinal hernia and remanded the issue of assigning an initial disability evaluation for bilateral inguinal hernia.

The Board has granted service connection for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as it is proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability, specifically post-concussion syndrome.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran after a Supplemental Statement of the Case was issued. The effective date for TDIU is still being determined.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for colon cancer and liver cancer due to herbicide agent exposure or as secondary to colon cancer. The Veteran's claim will be reviewed with a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's right forearm laceration, for which he sought immediate care from a private facility, was considered a valid medical emergency. The Board found that the nearest VA Medical Center in Boise, Idaho, was not feasibly available and an attempt to use it beforehand would not have been reasonable by a prudent layperson. Therefore, the Veteran is entitled to payment or reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center on July 7, 2018.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left leg shortening and deformity is remanded due to the need for additional medical records.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity lymphedema were granted a 10% rating each for the period prior to September 23, 2016. For the period from September 23, 2016 through the present, her right and left lower extremity lymphedema are denied an increased rating in excess of 20%. The Veteran's service connection claims for a right knee disability and a left knee disability were denied as secondary to her service-connected left ankle sprain residuals and/or service-connected right ankle myofascial syndrome.,The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings for the Veteran's lymphedema, with persistent edema but no stasis pigmentation or eczema. The claims for a right knee disability and a left knee disability were denied as secondary to her service-connected left ankle sprain residuals and/or service-connected right ankle myofascial syndrome.

The Veteran's residuals of a fractured lower jaw were rated at 10 percent, the lowest possible rating under current VA regulations. The Board found that his symptoms did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board is remanding the case to clarify when EM was actually removed as a dependent school child for VA purposes and to obtain clarification/verification from American University regarding her enrollment status.

The Veteran's service connection claims for stomach, gall bladder, colon disorders and gum disease with loss of teeth are remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining VA treatment records and providing opinions on the relationship between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected left cerebral aneurysm and left tempoparietal defect are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for loss of balance, finding that it is not etiologically related to service and was not caused or aggravated by service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for restrictive pericarditis, status post-pericardiectomy on a secondary basis to obtain an addendum opinion regarding whether it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board has ordered remand due to lack of substantial compliance with the April 2018 Board remand directives. The VA medical opinion is inadequate as it wholly ignores the crux of the Board's remand, which was to determine whether the condition precipitating the Veteran’s hysterectomy in 2002 had its onset in service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical examinations and discounted lay statements regarding the onset of gastrointestinal symptoms. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD may also be related to his gastrointestinal disability, but a new opinion is needed to address this.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate February 2017 VA examination, and a new one is needed for an opinion on the etiology of conjunctivitis.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hip arthritis, left and right circulatory conditions, and sleep apnea (secondary to PTSD) due to potential issues with causation or etiology.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for survivor pension benefits on the basis of being a helpless child of her deceased veteran husband because she was divorced from him after November [REDACTED], 1990, and thus not considered a 'child' for VA purposes.

The Board has decided that there may be relevant VA and private treatment records not yet associated with the case. The Veteran needs to provide authorization for these records, which will then be requested by VA.

The Veteran's request for an increased disability rating for his lumbar fusion, which is currently rated as 20 percent, has been remanded due to the need for a new examination and consideration of additional evidence.